The Wheel Turns
by The Laughing Man
Summary: Beryl didn’t turn all of Endymion’s generals the first time round. Four died at her hands when they were unwilling to betray their oaths. Several millennia later, they had finally returned. But they are different now... R&R! What's Haruka so angry abo
1. Prologue

I don't own Sailor Moon. The original characters and story all belong to Naoko Takeuchi.

This is just something that I felt would be pretty fun to write. Senshi/general pairings, but with a bit of a twist.

Beryl didn't turn all of Endymion's generals the first time round. Four died at her hands when they were unwilling to break and betray their oaths. Several millennia later, they had finally returned. But they are different from the Inner Shitennou, and are far more than they once were. Will they remember their lost loves?__

_Glorious sunset,_

_Blossoms on an autumn wind,_

_A warrior's life_

_Silver Millennium_

"All units, follow my lead!" Magnetite forced down the fear that sat in his stomach as he started his horse charging towards the massive horde that was Beryl's gathered army. "For the King!" He raised his sword in the midst of his charge. It gleamed despite the dark clouds obscuring the sun, shadows falling all over the battlefield.

His men, or what remained of them, surged forward, a pitiful rabble that was all that remained of the once proud armies of Earth. The battle just to get through Beryl's screening youma had consumed almost half of his forces. He had only less than five thousand cavalry left, up against Beryl's two hundred thousand.

Magnetite was sure the other generals were not much better off. If only the first shitennou had not been turned by Beryl, betraying their forces into Beryl's deadly clutches… Something whipped past his cheek, drawing a thin line of blood, bringing his attention back to the present.

A hail of arrows slammed into his charge, directed straight at the first few ranks instead of arcing over to hit the middle of his cavalry wedge. Horses and riders tumbled to the ground in rising clouds of dirt and soil, sowing further confusion as horses coming up from behind had to swerve to avoid tripping on the dead corpses, killing the momentum that they desperately needed to smash through the deadly line of pikes that faced them.

It was a no-win situation, an impossible battle, but Magnetite had his orders, his duty, and he intended to fulfil both to the very best of his ability. It did not matter that Beryl was likely to conquer the Kingdom of Earth and the Moon Kingdom with ease. Magnetite intended to make it as costly as possible for her. If they could weaken Beryl enough, perhaps the Silver Moon soldiers would be able to defeat Beryl. It was a slim chance, but it kept him going. He dared not think of any other outcome.

_This is all I can do for you, my Princess Neptune, _Magnetite closed his eyes one final time, dreaming of his love, the beautiful Senshi with wavy hair the colour of the sea who held his heart. _I cannot be with you any longer. Stay safe, my love. Defeat this bitch Beryl._

Then he snapped his eyes to see the approaching pikes. "For the King!" He roared again as his cavalry charged fearlessly into the midst of Beryl's army.

_Into the jaws of death they rode…_

"So, this is one of the famed Generals of Earth," Beryl said as she surveyed her latest catch like a piece of meat from the market. "You don't look like much."

"Go to hell, you bitch." Magnetite growled in reply, the angry sound of a hurt animal that did not mean to give up any time soon. He was almost naked, save for a few ragged piece of clothing left from his uniform.

His army had fought fiercely, but they had eventually succumbed to the sheer weight of numbers. Beryl had been surprised by his tenacity, as well as that of his fellow generals, those of the second shitennou. They had fought on long past the point of despair, even when they should know that there was no hope left for them. They had fallen in the end, subdued, but not killed.

No, she had other plans for them.

Each of the second shitennou general was held in a separate cell, their powers blocked by her dark magic. She intended to turn them to her side like she had done with Kunzite and his fellow generals. With all 8 generals under her control, she would be invincible!

"Why, dear Magnetite, I have been to hell, and I am its queen!" Beryl laughed. "By the time I am through with you, you will have changed your tune. You will betray your king, your vows, and even the Senshi bitches of the Moon."

"Never." Magnetite hissed, his eyes determined.

"Don't be too sure." Beryl's eyes glowed with black light as she summoned her power.

"Dream on, bitch." Magnetite held on tightly to Neptune's image in his mind as Beryl's mind twisting magics pierced into him, drawing out a long scream from his tortured lungs. He forced himself to hold onto Neptune and their love. _Hold on. Just hold on. I have to hold on. Neptune, I love you!_

The Princess of Neptune gasped as she felt a wave of pain and despair pass through her heart. It ached in the wake of the sensation, a terrible premonition falling over her. Neptune knew at once what had happened. Her soulmate, General Magnetite, was dead.

She would never again know the sweet caress of his fingers on her hair, his gentle voice as they talked about their music, the warmth of his body as they held each other close. Neptune wanted to weep for her lost love and the death of her dreams. The world was falling apart, and she wanted to rail at somebody, anybody, for the sad state of things.

Her best friend, the Princess of Uranus, burst into her room, "Something's happened!" Uranus might try to hide her feelings under a tough exterior, but Neptune could sense her friend's misery.

Neptune nodded sadly. "Yes, it has. We have to report to the Queen that Earth has fallen, and that the generals of Earth are dead."

She had her duty, and Neptune only allowed a single tear for her dead lover, as she steeled herself for the final reckoning with the evil queen who had stolen her happiness.

Queen Beryl won in the end, a pyrrhic victory which ended with her being so weakened that she was sealed away for centuries, awakening only to be defeated by the reborn Princess of the Moon and her protectors. The Traitor Generals were defeated as well, but did not truly die, eventually returning to their true roles as King Endymion's defenders and the soulmates of the Senshi. Crystal Tokyo was formed, and the world was at peace.

But nobody ever bothered to find out what happened to the 2nd shitennou, who had died at Beryl's hands, and more importantly, nobody knew Beryl had made contingency plans in case she was ever defeated…


	2. Strings Together

I don't own Sailor Moon. The original characters and story all belong to Naoko Takeuchi.

One of the characters, Michi Noketsuna, is borrowed from… elsewhere. Regards to Bob Charette for this awesome character and Minobu Tetsuhara. Eiji Fuchida, Raylic Sainze, and Gerald Akuma are my own creations. Minobu Tetsuhara is semi-original.

_City in hot night,_

_Summer of music,_

_Strings pulling at fate_

_Crystal Tokyo, Earth_

Minobu Tetsuhara, formerly of the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery and the Star League Defence Force, groaned at the early morning's light streaming into the window in his small apartment, the hangover of all hangovers from his late night drinking binge with Eiji Fuchida pounding his head incessantly. _Why the hell did I ever agree to compete with that baka yakuza? I can't out-drink him!_

Eiji had been setting himself up as _oyabun _of all _oyabun _on this world, and Minobu had been half appalled that his friend and erstwhile comrade had settled in so quickly and so successfully. As a criminal, of all things! Though Eiji had discreetly promised him he would be aiming to go legitimate as soon as he could. And avoid slicing off as many fingers as possible in the process. Well, it was not as if he could stop Eiji. Actually, he could try, but their battle would probably wreck an entire city in the process. No point in that. He just had to trust Eiji on this one.

Minobu had not been so lucky himself. While it would have been a simple matter for him to get a job as a _kendo_ instructor like his former aide Gerald Akuma, he had enough of war and combat, even if it was mock fighting with wooden swords, which the enthusiastic Akuma never seemed to tire of. So he had fallen back on his other talents, which meant performing in the streets and bars with his _erhu_, or painting art pieces for rich connoisseurs. It was difficult at first to earn enough money to get by, but Minobu had persevered.

He had been showered with praise recently for some of his exemplary solo _erhu_ performances, and that had opened a few more doors for him. His career was finally on the up and up, and Minobu felt that he could live out this sort of life for the rest of his days easily. No more fighting against ridiculous odds, no more starving on quarter rations, no more pyrrhic victories paid for in blood and tears, no more agonising over which unit he would be sending out against the Dark to die the next day. No more writing letters to the families of dead soldiers, no more nights taking stock of the butcher's bill and juggling their threadbare logistics.

Just him, his art, and his music. The almost carefree and relaxed life of an artist and musician, a stark contrast to his former disciplined and worried one as an officer and samurai. Minobu leaned back into his pillow after drawing down his curtains for more sleep, deciding that more sleep should cure that stupid hangover. _Ahhh, life is good._

Michiru Kaiou, known as Sailor Neptune to the world, paced around the palace, waiting impatiently for her best friend Haruka Tenoh for a night out in town together. It had been an exhausting week playing diplomat and protector to Europe, taking care of several matters that had cropped up. This was a rare opportunity for them to relax together.

The palace of Queen Serenity was surprisingly quiet in the evening, with the Royal couple and their loyal retainers attending a diplomatic function in another country. Michiru had managed to beg off for herself and Haruka, and she intended to make as much use of this free night as possible.

She was dressed in a pale blue dress with shimmering green and while highlights, which emphasized her slim figure nicely. Michiru hoped she would not be too easily recognised as Neptune in the city, which would be sprawling with people at night as they sought to relax and entertain themselves after a hard day's work.

Michiru thought about the events of the past ten years as she waited, marvelling at the changes that had come over the world when Usagi had finally claimed her birthright as Queen Serenity. The return of magic to the world had heralded a revolution in world affairs, as government after government found themselves swamped by citizens eager to accept the rule of Queen Serenity and King Endymion, who not only promised high hopes and promises, but actually managed to deliver on those promises.

There was no way the old order could compete, and a year ago the last intransigent nation had fallen under the benevolent rule of Crystal Tokyo. Since then, there had been no more wars and conflict throughout the world, with the local police keeping a lid on crime and the Senshi taking care of matters that in the past would have demanded armies to deal with. Their formidable array of powers and abilities meant that no non-magical force stood a chance against them; peace was easily restored to the lands and tyrants overthrown, with their people rejoicing at their new freedom.

Political freedoms were limited, but there were still elections at the national level, appointing officials who would rule under the guidance of Crystal Tokyo. The system the Senshi had set up after Usagi had come to power was proving to be an unprecedented success in delivering a better life to the citizens of Earth.

The downside of all that was that the Senshi had found very little time for themselves. Michiru turned at the sound of footsteps.

"Sorry I'm late." Haruka said as she hurried up to Michiru. "Have you been waiting long?"

Michiru smiled at her flustered friend, "Not really. Are you ready for a night out in town?" She looked over Haruka critically.

Haruka often dressed like a man, and tonight was no different. She wore a severe looking suit, along with a pair of dark pants. If Michiru didn't know better, she would have thought Haruka was trying to attract attention from the same gender. As it was, she knew that Haruka simply wanted to 'out-man the men', and that attitude had unconsciously carried over to everything she did.

"Do I look ready?" Haruka asked with a grin.

Michiru laughed and took Haruka's arm, "Let's go then!"

Minobu adjusted his dark blue collared shirt, wishing that he had taken more time to iron it properly instead of putting a few more touches on the vase he was painting. The shirt was slightly crumpled, and the damn collar just wouldn't stay up. Not for the first time, he cursed his height which made buying clothes such a chore, and his own samurai upbringing for never pointing out to him the finer points of dressing and fashion.

It had taken him quite a while to adjust to civilian clothing after years of wearing nothing but combat uniforms. Though he would never be considered to be at the cutting edge of modern fashion, he wouldn't look too out of place.

He hoped.

Minobu observed himself in the mirror. Dark blue long sleeved shirt, nondescript black pants that with a bit of luck would suit his darker skin tone. Despite the hot weather in the summer season, he could only wear long sleeved shirts, because the long battle scars on his arms would have attracted too much unwanted attention. His black and white hair combed as best as he could, without using too much of the hair gel that would have given a totally artificial look that he learnt people did not appreciate.

_Okay, that should do it. _He stared again at himself, noting the strange expression on his face that he was still getting used to. The happy, contented look of a man without worry.

He smiled as he turned away from the mirror, moving to pick up the case containing his _erhu_. There was a street music competition for string instruments every week at night since summer had started, and he had competed in and won every one of them. That should set people talking, if nothing else. He aimed to make sure tonight was no different.

There would be a sizable crowd tonight, if what he saw in previous weeks were any indication. Summer was really hot this year, and people only left their air-conditioned rooms and offices for the outside at night, when the air was cooler.

As he was closing the door of his apartment, Minobu felt just the slightest flutter against his _ki_. He narrowed his eyes. It was not the same type of gut wrenching vice that would grab him by the balls and squeeze hard whenever the shit was about to hit the fan, but more like a soothing breeze on his soul. _Why do I get the feeling something is about to happen tonight?_

Minobu shrugged his broad shoulders, then walked off. He had a competition to win.

"Look at that dress!" Michiru gasped as she dragged Haruka over to the window of another shop. They had not been out for a while, and there had been a whole new series of new summer wear out. Michiru had found herself busy taking down mental notes on which clothes to buy once they got some additional manpower to carry the shopping bags. There was no way she was going to burden herself or Haruka with the bags on this night.

"That's very nice." Haruka whistled as Michiru ran her eyes over their latest find. It was a green sleeveless number with slits down the legs. Enough to look sexy and classy but not slutty.

Michiru sighed. "I wish we had somebody around to help us carry the stuff."

Her best friend rolled her eyes in reply, which Michiru caught easily. "Haruka-chan, don't tell me you just aren't the teeniest, weeniest bit jealous of the Inners and the Shitennou? They're all happily married, while we're still old maids who can't even get a date except each other at twenty eight years old!"

Haruka winced at her words. "Michiru-chan, I may have thought about that for quite some time ago, but not now."

Michiru was about to reply when several pieces of paper flew past them. Intrigued, Michiru grabbed one of the flyers. Haruka walked up beside her to take a look.

"Master of Strings contest at Apple Avenue!" The flyer practically screamed in large bold neon letters. "All contestants and audience are welcome!"

Michiru grinned at the notice, then read the fine print. It seemed to be another of those music competitions that had sprung up ever since Queen Serenity had passed a dictate to promote arts and culture. They were particularly popular in the summer, especially as people, sick of being cooped up in their homes and offices in the day, would go out at night and enjoy the city nightlife.

"You're not thinking of taking part, are you?" asked Haruka.

Michiru smiled, "It's been so long since I've been able to play a violin. I think a short demonstration of my skill should serve to inspire these musicians and bring some entertainment to the people, wouldn't it?"

"I hope so!" Haruka laughed as Michiru dragged her away to Apple Avenue.

Minobu smirked as another musician conceded defeat at his hands. _Ah, the taste of victory is sweet_, the man gloated. _Now, just another ten minutes and I'd be able to walk off with the prize money._

The contest was quite simple. There was a podium with two large booths where the competing musicians would sit in. Instruments allowed would be any form of string instrument that required the use of a bow or a device that draws across the strings, and also limited by the type of music available. The musicians would play immediately whatever music score was placed in front of them, and were allowed to interpret the music as they wished as long as it stayed recognizable.

The applause from the audience would largely decide who stayed and who was eliminated, and vetted by professional judges. Because of his track record, Minobu had been placed near the end by the organisers, in order to let others have their moments of glory instead of having him beat every single one of them.

In order to base the decision on musicality and ability alone, and not looks or any other form of showmanship, the participants would enter the booths out of sight of the audience, and would emerge only after they were eliminated, or when they had won the whole thing. Also, the competing musicians would not be able to see each other. Which was a good thing because Minobu knew he simply did not look the part of a musician, and more like a disco bouncer. And a bad thing because he could not intimidate any competitors. Not that he needed to, anyway.

For the past few weeks, he had won often enough that regulars could pick out the distinctive mellow bright tone of his _erhu _when it was his turn amongst the many violins, violas, and cellos that dominated the field. Despite the demanding technique required, the _erhu_ was excellent for solo pieces, even with just two strings, capable of imitating many natural sounds which Minobu used to stunning effectiveness to add expression and colour to his pieces. While the sound is not as smooth as that produced by a western string instrument, it was a bit more versatile, and practically owned any music piece with melancholic moods.

"Well then, it seems like our old friend is back," the announcer said to the delighted laughter of the audience. The regulars knew full well who the player of the _erhu_ was, and their appreciative applause told Minobu that his efforts to gain recognition were paying off.

"For our next contestant, we have a violinist. So sit back and enjoy the music, folks!"

Almost immediately from the very first note played by the violinist, Minobu knew he had real competition. The tingling on his _ki_ he had felt when he was leaving his apartment came back again, only slightly stronger this time.

Michiru played her borrowed violin with all the skill she could muster. The surprising skill of the _erhu _player demanded no less than her very best effort. It had been a while since she had last played, but she trusted her hands and arms to remember the long hours spent honing her technique to the level which had first propelled her to stardom.

Haruka was amongst the audience, and undoubtedly cheering for her. Michiru smiled at the thought of her friend, and played with all the feeling she could pour into the piece. It was a slow yet delicate tune, and she kept just short of infusing it with too much emotion.

Then she was finished, and the outpouring of praise from the audience brought a grin to her face.

Next up was the _erhu_ player's turn to play the same piece, and his opening wiped her grin off. He was really very good. It would be a tight contest.

She normally wasn't very competitive, but for some strange reason, she just didn't want to allow the possibility that she, Michiru Kaiou, world-famous violinist, had been defeated by probably a no-name street musician. She would try even better the next time. She had to win!

Minobu wiped off the sweat from his forehead as the round went into another sudden death, winner-takes-all stage.

The violinist and him had been going at it for the past twenty minutes now, matching each other expression for expression, technical sequence for technical sequence, and even the professional judges brought in to break the tie had not been able to decide a winner. The audience was hugely enjoying the duel, cheering each of the two musicians.

He smiled ruefully, all the while noting that the tingling had only grown stronger, becoming almost a tickle of energy on his _ki_. He could vaguely sense the violin player's _ki_ now, and the strength and conviction of the player. He was also pretty sure it was a female playing.

Minobu groaned inwardly. If thirty-two years of life had taught him anything, it was that women were the hardest to dislodge when they are hell-bent on getting something they want. He got the impression that he was to be this woman's punching bag for the night.

The violin player finished her piece after he had presented it first, and again the score came back as a draw. Minobu resisted the urge to yell in frustration._ Samurai do not yell, _he heard Ishida-_sensei_'s voice from his time at Sun Zhang haranguing him during a training run.

Minobu shook his head. He needed to reach _mushin_, the rare state of thought and action as one, if he was to win this contest. He had not managed to reach that state for some time now, after the terrible battle at Bane's Wall where he had… No, this was still not the time to think about what he had done that day above the wide river gorge.

"Well, it seems like we're at an impasse!" The announcer declared cheerfully. "But, never fear! We have one last test. Let us test them on how well they play when they are," he whispered the next words theatrically to the crowd, "not performing alone."

The roar of approval from the crowd told him all he needed to know.

The announcer continued, "The two contestants shall play a romantic duet, and this shall be the last item for the day. Enjoy!"

The audience clapped enthusiastically.

Another music score was slipped to him through a small slit in his booth, which had microphones strategically placed around him to pick up the music and transmit it to the audience via several speakers. From what Minobu could hear, the system was absolutely first rate, and there was no loss in quality from the sound produced by his _erhu_ to that from the speakers.

In order to start them off, Minobu started beating time by plucking his strings like on a guitar, and then the violinist came in easily in sync with his own drawing of his bow to start off his own part.

Michiru nodded mentally in appreciation as they moved through the piece, which called for them swap leads frequently and support the other player. The _erhu_ player yielded seamlessly to her when the piece called for it, and she tried her best to support the other player whenever he, or perhaps it was a she, took the lead. Then just a quarter of the way through, she felt a sudden change in both herself and the _erhu_ player.

She moved totally into the music, immersing herself in the experience, which was unlike anything she had ever felt before. They were like kindred souls which had finally found each other after ages of separation, changing their intense competition into complementation, lifting the music beyond mere sounds into the realm where they could literally move hearts and souls with raw emotion.

Michiru wished the moment could last forever.

As he played, Minobu was barely cognizant of his surroundings, of anything that did not matter to the song. He was fully in the state of _mushin_, his _ki_ melding with the _ki_ of the female player, raising their art to a level he had never before achieved.

His soul seemed to sing with delight as they played, and Minobu got the faint impression of a woman with hair the colour of sea foam and the most enchanting green eyes he had ever seen.

Then the song was over, and Minobu found himself quivering from the aftertaste of the music. The crowd erupted in cheers of approval. There were even shouts of 'encore', even though this was not a formal performance.

He panted slightly, not from exhaustion but from the sensation that had overcome him during the final song. _What in the Nine Hells happened?_

Michiru looked up in surprise as she heard the announcer declare yet another draw, and that the prize money would be split between the joint winners. One side of the booth opened, and she walked out, her hands tired from the constant playing and the sheer intensity of the final duet.

She walked out to tremendous applause, just as her competitor, the _erhu_ player exited from his booth as well.

He was a tall man, towering over the normal crowd with his 6'5 frame. The _erhu_ seemed like a mere twig in his hands, but the graceful movements of his fingers hinted at a control and discipline that most men of his size would never achieve. His hair was black, but streaked with white and grey. His eyes were a hard and steely grey that did not blink enough, hinting at experiences better left untouched. His face was handsomely rugged rather than boyish, but possessed of character and hidden strength. His skin was darker than normal, which made him stand out even more. He looked to be a bit older than her.

He looked at her, and Michiru flushed when he smiled, then bowed deeply and formally to her. He then turned to the crowd and declared, "I concede. This lady deserves the victory." _He has a strong voice_, Michiru noticed.

The announcer walked up beside him, "Uh, Minobu-san, I thought I said it was a draw…"

_So, his name is Minobu… _Michiru smiled, then spoke up, "I think I should have a say in this as well. I agree that a draw is the fairest result."

Minobu blushed at her words, and Michiru thought he looked extremely charming as he quickly placed his _erhu_ back into its case. He began to protest, "But…"

The announcer whispered harshly in a tone that would not reach the crowd, but Michiru caught the words easily. "Minobu-san, are you mad? I thought you needed the money!"

"I did, but I cannot accept even a draw when this lady had performed so well with a handicap. It is not honourable."

Michiru blinked in confusion as Minobu continued to speak, this time to her and the crowd, his voice confident and commanding. "Judging from your attire and manner, you must be a lady of high position and rank." He pointed at her violin, "The violin you used was one borrowed from the spare racks, and is of lower quality. You would have beaten me easily if you were using a better instrument which would reveal your full talent."

Michiru blushed again as he bowed gallantly to her. "I am Minobu Tetsuhara and I acknowledge your greater skill. Please accept my congratulations."

She could sense his sincerity, and there was nothing more she could say to change his mind. She bowed back to him. "I am Michiru Kaiou, and I thank you for your kind words."

The crowd seemed to quieten down as they realized who she was. The announcer grinned like an idiot as he rushed over to give them their prize money, and then stuck out a piece of paper for her to autograph.

Then the crowd surged up the stage, and Michiru found Haruka by her side pulling her away from the throng of autograph seekers. They ran away as if for their lives. Without seeming to know why, Michiru pulled Minobu along.

Minobu did not know why, but a few minutes later he found himself still with _Jokan_ Kaiou, the violinist who had beaten him plus another tall lady with blond hair and dressed like a man.

"Are they gone?" Michiru asked. _She has such a sweet voice._ Minobu hit himself on the head slightly to dislodge any hentai thoughts.

"Yeah, I think so." He peered warily around a corner. "What was that all about?"

Then he turned back to see the two women were staring at him with shock on their faces. "Uh, can somebody tell me what is going on?"

Michiru seemed to recover first, "You really don't know?"

"Know what?" Minobu scratched his head with a finger. Sure, he could try a bit of mind reading to find out what they were talking about, but why bother?

Michiru pressed again, "Do you know who we are?"

"Huh? Well, I know your name, Lady Michiru, but not that of your friend. Is there something I'm not aware of?"

The two women looked at each other for a few seconds, and Minobu felt sweatdrops down the back of his head as he got the sensation they were conversing on a different level. Then they grinned at each other, and Minobu got the feeling he had just stepped into quicksand. And he wasn't about to get out any time soon.

Michiru walked up to him, her green eyes gleaming, "Minobu-san, how would you like to have my half of the prize money? You just have to do something for me and my friend, Haruka Tenoh. Just for tonight."

_Prize money? Yeah, I really need that money for additional paint supplies. _Minobu snapped to attention as though he was back in Sun Zhang. "Your wish is my command!"

The two women giggled madly.

Michiru laughed happily as he walked on the street, Haruka trailing her with an amused expression. Tetsuhara lagged behind them, weighted down by box after box of clothes and shopping bags from their buying spree.

Most men would have been wearing an expression of forlorn despair in Minobu's shoes, but he seemed bemused instead, and had taken on all the bags and boxes without a single word of complaint.

Which was extremely unusual to Michiru. She had met her fair share of men and dates, sometimes thrust upon her by the other Senshi, but none seemed like Minobu. He was polite all the time, and did not seem to offer much information about himself. While other men would bluster about their qualities, his calm was a pool. But she did observe that he seemed slightly uncomfortable when speaking to her or Haruka, as though he did not have much social interaction with people.

As they walked, they would talk about their music. Because Haruka played the piano as well, she was not left out. Michiru quizzed him incessantly about his technique, and he answered as best as he could.

She could not forget the moment when their music had come together, and Michiru simply could not shake off the feeling that this was what she had been waiting for all her life. The Senshi took another look at Minobu, and got the slight feeling of power laying dormant in him.

Every now and then, she would exchange glances with Haruka, the two of them revelling in Minobu's seeming ignorance of their true identities as Protectors of the Realm and Sailor Senshi. It seemed like he did not bother to read the papers.

They were halfway to the Crystal Palace when Minobu mentioned that he had needed the money for buying paint, which made Haruka blurt out the fact that Michiru painted as well. The next thing they knew, they had shifted the topic from music to painting.

Minobu grinned as he carried the fruits of their shopping trip. It was not exactly light, but he had carried much heavier stuff in the past when he was at the Sun Tzu School of Combat. Carrying six full water buckets up a small mountain at the age of fifteen wasn't exactly a cakewalk.

That said, Michiru had been gracious enough not to leave him out, and she had insisted on buying a shirt for him, over his most vehement protests. But he had admitted defeat when Haruka joined in the attack.

He just wasn't used to talking to women in a social context. Oh sure, there were plenty of female soldiers under the various units he had commanded when he was in the SLDF, but he had always isolated himself, because of the necessity for a commander to maintain a distance between himself and his troops to retain his objectivity in combat, when he sometimes had to order good soldiers to die.

Minobu hated himself for that. He had often questioned himself if a conscience was a good thing in a samurai, when he had been taught to take action without regret, make snap decisions without remorse. At least he didn't have to make such decisions any more. Leave that to some other gloryhound with more attention to the objective and body counts!

He had to admit he liked company of the two beautiful women, especially Michiru's. There was a certain connection he felt with her, and there was always the faint sweet sound of music he thought could hear when they looked at each other. Minobu could recognise it as the duet they had played during the contest.

_Is it fate? _He wondered. _That I would finally meet somebody I like on this other Earth in another galaxy? Is this what I've been waiting for all my life?_

"We're here." Michiru announced as she stopped, and Minobu could only stare in slack jawed amazement at their home.

In front of him was a high gate of silver and gold, glittering with jewels and rare crystals. Beyond the gate was a vast garden, filled with bright and beautiful flowers of every imaginable colour and type. And in the middle of all that was a single gleaming palace, also made from the same white, silver, and gold material as the gates.

Minobu blinked. Several times, in fact. He asked, "Isn't this the Crystal Palace? Where the rulers of the world live?"

Michiru nodded, as did Haruka.

"Then you live here?"

They nodded again.

Minobu wanted to hit himself for not keeping a closer watch on current events and politics on this world. "Then your roles are?"

Michiru smiled, somewhat sadly, "I am Sailor Neptune, Senshi and Soldier of the Depths for Neo Queen Serenity."

Haruka was next to speak. "And I am Sailor Uranus, Senshi and Soldier of the Skies for Neo Queen Serenity."

Minobu stepped back slightly from that at their revelations. He had heard of the Sailor Senshi, the defenders of this world, but he had never expected he would meet them. And certainly not like this! No wonder her _ki_ was so strong.

Michiru was wistful as she said, "I'm sorry for not telling you earlier, Minobu-san. I hope you forgive me and Haruka for deceiving you…"

He recovered gamely, "No. You didn't deceive me." He smiled. "I can only blame myself for not reading the papers and finding out just how beautiful the Sailor Senshi are." His smile grew wider at their blushes. "Now, where in that nice big palace do I put these boxes?"

Michiru laughed in relief that he was not angry, took him by the arm, and led him through the gates past the guards, who snapped to attention. "Follow me."

Minobu nodded in approval at the discipline of the guards, and walked through the gate behind Michiru.

"So, what do you think?" Haruka smiled mischievously at Michiru as they sat down on Michiru's bed in her room. "Quite the prize catch you have there, Michiru-chan!"

Michiru's face was as red as a berry as she tried to deny the allegation, "Haruka-chan, there's nothing between us!"

"Oh really?" Haruka grinned. "Then why did you invite Minobu-san over tomorrow in the afternoon?"

"Well, he said he was a painter, and that he painted not only normal art, but vases and pottery as well, and I figured that the palace could use an artisan of his skills," said Michiru defensively.

"Oh please, Michiru." Haruka rolled her eyes. "I know you too well. And remember, I was at the contest too, and the duet you two played was beyond flawless. And then the way you looked at each other was all too obvious! You even share the same interests!"

Michiru glared at her best friend, "Haruka, I'm going to get angry now if you don't stop!"

"I'm even going to tell the others!" Haruka laughed as she skipped out the door, just in time to avoid a pillow thrown in her direction. "Good night, Michiru-chan!"

The turquoise-haired woman stared after her friend for a moment, before throwing her face into a pillow, trying to hide from herself the feelings she had felt that night with Minobu Tetsuhara.

Minobu sank back on his bed, his mind running with images of Michiru. _Am I in love? Or is it just an obsession? _He drifted off into sleep.

_"Jumonji." He said in a low voice that reached only to the two men behind him, his former student and the friend he had chosen as his kaishaku-nin._

_"He asked you to wait until he has made the second, crosswise cut." There was a sudden intake of air from his kaishaku-nin. He knew his friend would understand._

_In a deliberate motion, he reached out with steady hand and took the wakizashi that lay before him. He looked down at it. On its gleaming surface, he saw reflections of all that had made his life worthwhile. Its shine was the sheen of his honour._

_He turned the point towards his own abdomen and focused his ki._

_He stabbed the sword deeply into his flesh, on the left side below his navel. He drew it slowly across to the right. Turning the sword in the wound, he cut upwards towards his heart._

_He felt no pain. His ki liberated him from that. There was a small click behind him to the left._

_Oblivion._

Minobu opened his eyes, his heart surprisingly calm. _That was new. Not a nightmare, but more like a memory… That wakizashi… is my wakizashi. Honour's Sorrow. Was that where the red stain on the blade came from?_

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Like it? Dislike it? Please review and comment!

Here's the haiku for next chapter. As you might guess, it's going to be action!

_War bares a sword's steel,_

_Autumn leaves reflect colour,_

_A samurai's blood_

Those who wish to know more about the nature of my fic should read Wolves on the Border, the novel I consider to be Robert Charette's _magnum opus_.


	3. War Tidings

I don't own Sailor Moon. The original characters and story all belong to Naoko Takeuchi.

One of the new characters, Michi Noketsuna, is borrowed from… elsewhere. Regards to Bob Charette for this awesome character as well as the tragic figure of Minobu Tetsuhara that serves as inspiration for my Minobu. The novels I referenced for some of the haikus were _Wolves on the Border_, _Heir to the Dragon_, and _Wolf Pack_. Eiji Fuchida, Raylic Sainze, and Gerald Akuma are my own creations.

This is just something that I felt would be pretty fun to write. Senshi/general pairings, but with a bit of a twist.

Beryl didn't turn all of Endymion's generals the first time round. Four died at her hands when they were unwilling to break and betray their oaths. Several millennia later, they had finally returned. But they are different from the Inner Shitennou, and are far more than they once were. Will they remember their lost loves?__

_War bares a sword's steel,_

_Autumn leaves reflect colour,_

_A samurai's blood_

_Royal Palace, Crystal Tokyo_

King Endymion, formerly known as Chiba Mamoru, grinned at his wife and Queen, laughing quietly in joy as he leaned his head on her extended belly, trying to listen to the sound of little Chiba-Usa. Neo Queen Serenity was pregnant with their child, and Endymion was full of anticipation. More than Crystal Tokyo, more than ruling the world, more than defeating all those youma in the past, this was something which was infinitely more important than anything he had ever had.

He looked up into the wise yet innocent eyes of Usagi, "Usako, I wish I could be like this with you forever."

"And I would with you too, Mamo-chan." Then a corner of her mouth twisted up, "But I wouldn't want to carry around Chibi-Usa my whole life!"

Endymion chuckled. Usagi was constantly complaining about the restrictions placed on her because of her pregnancy. No excessive walking about, regular meals with almost precisely the right amount of nutrients to ensure a healthy child as prescribed by Ami, and even quiet soothing music to sooth the infant in her womb.

It almost drove the Queen crazy at times.

Thinking of music led him to a nice piece of gossip, "Dear, have you heard of the new artisan who's been coming over every day?"

Queen Serenity grinned in reply, "Why yes I have! He paints the most beautiful vases, as well as portraits. Our halls are filling up nicely with his works. I wonder where Michiru-chan found him?"

Endymion raised an eyebrow. "Michiru hired him?"

"Not exactly. Michiru simply brought him to me a few weeks ago and asked me if I was willing to pay him for helping to decorate the palace. He brought a few samples, I liked them, and so he started work. So to be accurate, I hired him, not Michiru."

"But that's not all he did, right?" Endymion asked.

Serenity nodded. "I read some journals that suggested that children and infants are smarter if they listened to music, so I asked Michiru and the new guy to play music for me and some of the Palace staff in the afternoon. The two of them worked flawlessly together." She winked at him, and Endymion knew when she had some devious plan in mind.

"You keep saying new guy, new guy, but what's his real name? And why haven't I met him yet?"

"Oh, his name is Minobu Tetsuhara. And you were always too busy to see him…" Serenity stared at him, "Mamo-chan, what's wrong?"

Endymion didn't know why, but there was a slight ticking at the back of his mind as he heard the name. He saw an image of a black haired man, with steel in his eyes and dark coloured skin. He shook his head slightly.

"My King?" Usagi asked again, worried for him. "What's wrong?"

Endymion held a hand to his forehead. "I do not know. I just get a feeling that there's something from the Silver Millennium that I haven't remembered. Something very important. Something I should know. Must know."

Usagi placed her hand over his, channelling calm into him. "My love, relax. This is a rare opportunity for you to take a day off. Let's enjoy it without letting unhappy memories disturb us."

He smiled back at his beloved wife. "You are right. So, how about letting me see this artist that has so besotted my wife?"

Serenity stuck out a tongue at him, "I'm not besotted with him." She smiled slyly, and looked around them carefully to ensure that nobody else was nearby. She whispered to Endymion, "Michiru-chan is." She giggled. "Whenever he's here to work on the palace paintings, and if she's free, she'll be found hanging around him."

"You gotta be kidding me," Endymion shook his head, "I thought she was involved with Haruka?"

"Owww!" His words were met by a sudden thwack from Usagi on his head. Endymion clutched his head in pain massaging the area where she had hit him with his hands, "What was that for?"

"That was for your hentai ideas!" Usagi glared at him. "Michiru-chan and Haruka-chan haven't been that way for years, so get your mind out of the gutter."

"Okay, okay!" King Endymion, ruler of the world and wielder of the powerful Golden Crystal, destroyer of countless youma, wasn't afraid of any one person. Except his wife when she was angry.

Almost immediately, Usagi softened her expression, and placed her hand on the spot where she had hit him. "I'm sorry, my dear. Did it hurt?"

"Not really." He smiled. As long as their love remained strong, everything would turn out fine. "Now, how about Tetsuhara?"

"How about this first?" Usagi smiled as she kissed him lightly. He kissed back, and then they were all over each other.

Michiru nodded in approval at Minobu's latest work, a painting of several swans along with calligraphy on one side. "That's beautiful, Minobu-san. Where do you think we should place this piece?"

The tall artist looked thoughtful for a moment. "How about the conference room? It still looks a bit empty."

Michiru agreed. "That's a good choice."

For the past month, Minobu had been coming over to the palace to paint and provide pottery and other artwork to spice up the place. Michiru had arranged for a small room where he could work, and she made it a point to leave her work and pop in every now and then to see how he was doing.

Minobu, for his part, was more than happy to finally land a job that provided him with regular income. Michiru knew he still played in the bars and street at night when he could, but at least he did not have to live a hand to mouth existence anymore. She wondered why she had been so concerned with his welfare.

_If only he moved into the palace instead of insisting on staying in his own small apartment outside… _she mused, before quickly shaking away the thought. _What am I thinking?_

Just then, a servant tasked as one of the many messengers in the palace entered the room and walked up to her. "Lady Neptune, the King requests your presence as well as that of Citizen Tetsuhara." Then the servant slipped away, obviously with more duties to fulfil.

Minobu turned to her." What's this about? I hope he's not going to execute me for fouling up in front of Queen Serenity and her unborn child." His serious tone was offset by the slight grin of his mouth.

Michiru shook her head and smiled, "No, but he might execute you for making lewd faces at the queen when the rest of us aren't looking."

The artist held his hands over his heart as though shot by an arrow, "Oh, you wound me with your words, lady!" He began to stagger around, "Ahhh, I'm going to collapse now. Please tell the king I'm too dead to be a pervert." He winked at her.

"Come on, Minobu-san!" Sailor Neptune laughed as she pulled one of his hands towards the throne room. Since she had gotten to know him better, Michiru had discovered that Minobu also had a humorous aspect to his personality that he normally hid under his calm and serious quiet manner. He made her laugh often, and she enjoyed his company, and not just when they were playing their musical instruments together either. But there was still so much that he kept hidden from her, and Michiru wondered what secrets he cold be hiding.

She led him past the long ornate corridors of the palace, bustling with administrators and servants. Then at the doors of the throne room, guarded by two guards, Michiru nodded to them. One guard opened the door. Not for the first time, Michiru noticed that Minobu would nod solemnly to each guard whenever he walked past them, as though saluting them silently. Their stance would likewise strengthen from the slack position adopted through long hours, as though encouraged by his nod.

"Lady Neptune and Citizen Minobu Tetsuhara!" A servant announced as they entered the throne room, Michiru leading the way and Minobu following subserviently behind as befit his lower status.

The throne room was surprisingly simple. Along the sides were a series of chairs for guests and visiting dignitaries, while the thrones sat on a raised dais at the far side of the room. The walls glittered with crystal and gold set in white marble.

King Endymion and Queen Serenity smiled as Michiru knelt before them on the carpeted floor, with Minobu only a heartbeat behind in his actions. "Your Majesties."

"Please rise, Michiru-chan. We're friends, and there is no need for formality amongst friends," said Queen Serenity. Michiru did as her friend commanded. "Usagi-chan, you look wonderful!" Michiru said sincerely before turning around to look at Minobu to beckon him forward.

Minobu had remained on his knees. Serenity looked at him, and beamed, "Citizen Tetsuahara, you may rise as well. I think you can consider yourself a friend of ours by now. The goddess knows how much of your music my child has heard."

"Thank you, your Highness." Minobu rose, and Michiru suddenly had a weird feeling of déjà vu. They all looked at King Endymion, who was staring at Minobu as though he was seeing a ghost.

"My king, are you all right?" Serenity said, concern in her voice.

Endymion muttered, just barely audible to his wife and Michiru, "My general. One of my guardians. The outer Shitennou."

Michiru spun round to look at Minobu, who had apparently heard Endymion's words because his eyes were narrowed, but not in puzzlement. She caught just the slightest glimpse of a hardened warrior behind those eyes, not the polite, cultured Minobu she had come to know well. _What is going on? What is the Outer Shitennou? _She got a strange itch in her mind, as though there was something that she needed to remember.

"Your Highness," Minobu spoke, "Please forgive me for my unworthy intrusion, but my lord is unwell. Perhaps you should retire to your quarters for rest. I can always come back another day."

Endymion shook himself clear of the malaise he had been stricken with. "I'm sorry, citizen Tetsuhara. I must have dozed off for a moment there." It was a lame excuse to Michiru, but who would gainsay the king? She could see the doubt on Minobu's face, but also a slight weariness, as though he had half expected it.

Endymion now smiled, and his smile was quite genuine. "Citizen Tetsuhara, I heard from my wife that you're a musician and an artist, and that many of the pottery and paintings in the palace are your work."

Minobu nodded, "Yes, your Highness. I have been working to decorate the palace for the past month, as well as playing music with Lady Neptune for the Queen. I hope I can continue to be of service in the future as well."

Endymion leaned forward, "Forgive me if this questions seems weird. Are you having any strange dreams lately?"

Michiru stared at her liege lord in shock, as did Queen Serenity. Minobu wore a poker face as he replied, "No, your Highness. I have not had any dreams out of the ordinary."

_He's lying! _Michiru realized with a shock. She had been around him long enough to know his moods and expressions. _What is he hiding?_

Endymion and Minobu stared at each other for several long and uncomfortable moments, and Michiru could almost sense the interplay of power as they seemed to be testing each other's conviction. After a while Endymion spoke, "I'm sorry for asking such a silly question."

"You were just asking." Minobu smiled thinly. "Nothing to forgive. By your majesty's leave?"

"Very well." Serenity said calmly, though Michiru could tell that Usagi was clearly troubled by Mamoru's actions and words, "You may depart now, Citizen Tetsuahara. Michiru-chan, please stay back. I wish to talk to you."

Minobu stared at Endymion for an unnerving second, before turning away and walking out. Michiru noticed that his gait was no longer the calm, measured steps of the artist and musician. But rather the hard strides of a soldier…

"Mamo-chan, what is going on?" Serenity asked as soon as Minobu had left. "What's happening?"

Queen Serenity had never felt so alarmed since Crystal Tokyo was formed. Her beloved Mamo-chan had been having troubled dreams in his sleep recently, but she had kept it to herself, hoping that he would tell her of his own accord. But this was the first time he had let it show in the day.

Endymion leaned back heavily in his seat, his expression sad. "My queen and Lady Neptune, how much do you remember of the Silver Millennium?"

"Not much." Both of them said.

Ednymion sighed heavily, "Recently, I had been having dreams of that long ago time. The memories were hazy at first, but they are becoming clearer, and today I remembered as though I had just experienced them."

He continued, "I had eight generals protecting me, not just four. The Outer Shitennou, mirroring the Outer Senshi." He smiled ruefully, "Earth was never going to let the Moon Kingdom have all the cards. In some ways, it was for appearance's sake, but the Outer Shitennou were powerful and had earned the right to their rank."

Serenity frowned. "Then you think these generals have started coming back? When Kunzite, Jadeite, Zoicite and Nephrite were freed from Beryl's control, none of them mentioned these extra generals."

Michiru was also piecing it together, "And Minobu-san was one of them?"

Endymion nodded. "I am sure of it. He didn't look exactly the same, but close enough that I thought I was seeing a twin. The steel I remembered was still there. You saw it when we were staring at each other."

Michiru protested, "Mamoru, you must be mistaken, he is only an artist, not a soldier."

"So were the Senshi at the beginning," said Serenity. "But even so, I don't think he is just a simple musician and artist either. There's just… something about him."

Michiru sighed, "I know. I have tried to get closer to him, but at a certain point he would always push me away."

"Michiru, don't worry. Magnetite and you were lovers in the Silver Millennium," Endymion smiled as he watch the deep blush appear on Michiru's face, "He just needs time to adjust. After all, he doesn't know us very well."

Serenity pounced on that piece of information, exclaiming delightedly, "Michiru-chan, congratulations!"

Michiru shuffled her feet nervously, staring at the ground to hide her embarrassment from her friends and rulers. Thankfully, Endymion saved her by shifting the topic slightly.

"If Magnetite is here, then the other three should not be far behind. Having such powerful and loyal generals should enhance the security of Earth. Reports are coming in of movement just outside the Solar System. Our reconnaissance teams are still trying to find out who the aliens are, but we must be vigilant."

Serenity nodded. She had read the same reports, and those were greatly troubling. They had sent out ambassadors to Princess Kakyuu to forge an alliance in case of war, as well as a few other worlds they were friendly with.

She really hoped war would not come. It would only hurt the people of Earth, causing nothing but pain and death. _Please, let there be peace._

_Hiroshima_

Eiji Fuchida stifled a yawn as he took his place amongst the _oyabun _of the world, ten of the most powerful criminal lords on Earth, led by the _oyabun _of_ oyabun_, who had assumed leadership of the world federation of gangs in the wake of the new world order. He tugged at his black business suit, which still fitted him poorly no matter how many times the tailor adjusted it. _Thank the Buddha for air conditioning_,he thought. Even though it was autumn, it could still get uncomfortably hot in the suit.

The ten seats were situated in an arc, with the eleventh seat, belonging to the kuromaku, in the middle. Before them was a crescent shaped table. Eiji wondered if their guest would find that arrangement ironic in light of the topic of the night's discussion.

A tall man, clad in black, stood before them. He was nearly invisible, of nondescript brown hair and black eyes. Eiji also knew it was a hologram. The Cyberpunks were good, and this was their second in command.

Eiji could pierce the disguise any time he wanted, tearing past the technological marvels in use and exposing the Cyberpunk for what he truly was, Commander Peter Left, a former soldier from the United States Special Operations Command, but like his fellow crime lords, he was intrigued by the Cyberpunks and what they were offering.

"You are very kind to allow me an audience today," said the Cyberpunk. He bowed formally, then handed a small paper package to a waiting flunky. Eiji knew within the package was ten thousand dollars, a small gift to the lords for granting this interview.

The crime lords were all standing instead of sitting in their seats. None of them would sit until the _oyabun_ arrived. Eiji looked at them from one corner of his eye, aware that the others were also sizing one another up. There were two Mafia bosses, a Korean gang lord, three chiefs from the Chinese Tongs, as well as others from all around the world. The most powerful men of the underworld. And eager to seize on any weakness in the others in their bid for more power.

The Cyberpunks, in contrast, were a secret society formed in the former United States to defend the US Constitution against all threats. Which included the present regime of Crystal Tokyo. From what Eiji was able to dig up, they were damn good, undermining the authority of King Endymion and Queen Serenity, stirring up unrest and demands for more political freedoms. A few riots had already broken out in the United States due to prodding from Cyberpunks and their sympathizers. They were fiercely hostile to King Endymion's reign, claiming that the new world government did not have any basis within the Constitution, taking place by universal fiat and not by careful, considerate deliberation by elected officials, and so, totally counter to it in law and spirit.

Eiji, taking the lead as the _oyabun_'s personal assistant and aide, gestured for the Cyberpunk to take a seat in a plush chair facing the arc. The Cyberpunk nodded stiffly, then sat down, as did the gathered crime lords. They traded small talk for about five minutes.

"Boss is coming." A receiving earpiece reported. Eiji nodded imperceptibly, and the crime lords rose from their seats, as did the Cyberpunk. The _oyabun_ entered the room, a bull of a man walking in with a slight limp.

"Tea for our guest," he ordered in a commanding voice. He sat down in his seat, while the crime lords remained standing. He motioned for Peter Left to sit. Then they waited for a few moments while a few servants brought in tea and a tray of tidbits.

The Cyberpunk took a cautious sip of the tea, then leaned forward to listen.

"I grew up poor," the _oyabun_ began, "My family had little, often only rice and pickles to eat. My father was an educated man, a lecturer in an university, but he lost everything to gambling. I've not the education he had, but I've done the reverse."

"I started as a strong-arm. Life was simple. I was simple too. A friend brought me into the yakuza. I did not know what to expect. I started by cleaning floors. Soon I progressed. Every day at five in the morning I would wash windows. Cold water, cold weather. It was very severe. It's not so hard now. Traditions have been lost." Eiji kept a grimace out of his face as the _oyabun_ spoke. His childhood was like that too.

The _oyabun_ stared right at Peter Left, "You understand all about tradition, don't you?"

The Cyberpunk nodded. "Traditions are exactly what I'm here about. Our traditions are at risk from the new order, about to be swept away."

"_Shikata ga nai_. The new age has been a boon to us."

"Only because the restructuring of the government has allowed you to slip more of your agents into place to cover up your activities. Once Serenity gets wind of your activities, what makes you think you can stand up to her Senshi?"

The _oyabun_ smiled, "We have means."

The Cyberpunk grinned, "So do we, but I think yours is a little bit better. They have magic, and you have magic too."

Eiji tried hard not to react to that. _How did they find out?_ He kept his face calm, expressionless.

"A few weeks ago, we got several interesting reports of corpses that looked fine on the outside. But the autopsies always reveal that their internal organs had burst like overripe fruit. Now, those dead guys, they were all bastards who nobody would miss. Rapists, murderers, and literal scum of the earth. But the other thing that stood out was that they all betrayed you. So that left me to one conclusion. You have something or someone with the ability to wield magic. I wonder who it is…"

Then the Cyberpunk stared at Eiji. _Fuck, he knows._

"What is it to you?" Asked the _oyabun_.

"Checks and balances. There's no one and nothing to stop Endymion and Serenity if they abuse their power. We're dedicated to finding ways and means to stop their tyranny if necessary."

"I think you just want those ways and means to use against them, tyranny or not," scoffed a tong chief. "No, we'd hold them ourselves, thank you."

"Then when they start cracking down on your drug trades, your loaning schemes, your laundering operations, you'll wish you've listened to me."

"I think not." The oyabun said, "We've began scaling back some of our operations, and started on other lines that would soon be legalized as a result of the initiatives we've sponsored."

"The politicians you've bribed. Prostitution and drugs."

"Ah yes." The oyabun nodded wisely. "So useful, don't you think? Where there is demand, there will be a supply, and legalising drugs and prostitution will help tighten up the standards and ensure the health of our people. Earnings would go down some, and we'll still keep some of our more profitable operations around. We have already come to terms to the new reign. It is your own business that you have not."

The Cyberpunk stood up, "You'll regret this."

The _oyabun _shook his head, "No, you will."

"What do you think, Eiji-san?" The _oyabun _asked as they walked in the oyabun's mansion's garden.

"They are like men falling off a cliff grasping at straws, but their kicking will still hurt." Eiji replied seriously. "Toda-sama, they know who was behind the killings."

"Yes, but what can they do about it? Out you to the authorities?" The _oyabun_ laughed, "I have more than enough faith in you that you can deal with whatever the silly queen and her Senshi send at you."

Eiji rolled his eyes, "Overconfidence is the downfall of many. Nobody is invincible."

"True," Toda agreed, "But if half of what you had told me was true, it'll be very difficult to destroy you."

Eiji sighed, "I've had enough of war, Toda-sama. I wish for nothing more than to live out the rest of my days in peace."

"You might not have it." The _oyabun_ became grim. "Reports are coming in of an alien force on the edges of the Solar System. I suspect an invasion soon. All this talk of legislation and rebellion will count for nothing then."

"If that happens, then I'll fight. But not until then."

"What about the space armies you were telling me about? Could you get them to help?"

"No, they're too far away." Eiji shook his head. How does one explain inter-galactic travel, conduit points, warp gates, and shadow gates? "But I do know a few good men who can make a difference…"

_Crystal Tokyo_

Minobu Tetsuhara was dreaming again.

_"Submit to me!" The angry woman hissed into his face._

_"Never, you bitch!" He spat at her, only to be greeted by another vicious lash across his face, her long nails raking him and slicing out long thin pieces of his skin and flesh, cutting all the way to the bone._

_He began to laugh at her anger, knowing all the while that it would only serve to infuriate her. Perhaps enough to kill him, instead of turning him and brainwashing him as she had done to Kunzite and the others. He cannot be turned, for it would mean fighting against his beloved Princess Neptune and his king. He would rather die, and so he will._

_"If I cannot make you mine, then I shall have to kill you and drain your energy!" Beryl screamed as she plunged a sword into his chest. He continued laughing through the blood bubbling up his throat, eager to sink into the abyss._

Minobu looked up at his ceiling. Damn dreams just wouldn't leave him alone at night. He groaned, then got up to make some food for himself. He still had some ham, lettuce, and bread in the fridge.

It had been like that for the past month since he had met Michiru. Dreams, which he knew to be memories of his past lives, one after another, invading his mind. And this latest dream had been particularly vivid, and Minobu could remember even in the dream, as he was dying, images of a certain green haired girl flashing through his mind. She was almost certainly Michiru.

_These were my past lives, my deaths._ He knew now what he was, had known for the past year. The Agenasi, Analo, Eliterei, Killer Angels, legends had whispered of the various names for his kind. _We are fated to live, fated to fight. Fated to die. And be reborn to repeat the whole bloody process. Again and again._

He had heard of the story of the Senshi and the Shitennou, where they were reincarnated into the present age after their past lives in the Silver Millenium were wrecked by a Queen Beryl.

Queen Beryl? He remembered that name from the dream. She had been trying to turn him to her cause. She had succeeded with the other generals. Which indicated that he was once one of Earth Generals and protector of the royal family. And Endymion had mentioned Outer Shitennou in the throne room.

Minobu cursed silently. Did past vows in the previous life matter in the present one? He had already sworn his loyalty to another lord. He had lied to King Endymion concerning the dreams, and everybody in the throne room knew it. Michiru had been disappointed in him, and Minobu had felt worse than he had ever been in his life. It was that moment that he realised that he loved her.

Before he knew it, he had finished off the sandwich. Minobu stared down at the scars on his arms, memoirs of past battles. He could not allow Michiru to get close. He was going to die, sooner if not later, and his passing would only bring her pain.

Something was stirring, something evil. Minobu could just sense it, an ominous sensation that sent shivers up his spine and grabbed his balls in a hard clench. When the evil came, he would fight. And maybe he would die.

He walked back to his bed, then decided against sleeping. _I had better centre myself. Evil is on the way. _He sat down cross legged on a small mat, and began to meditate.

Morning came, and Minobu, actually more refreshed by his meditation than by his sleep, walked out his apartment, preparing to stop by a small café for breakfast before continuing to the palace.

He was heading down towards the café on the street when his instincts all yelled at him at once. _Duck!_

The street was engulfed in explosions.

"What is going on?" King Endymion demanded as he ran out of his bedroom, followed by a struggling Serenity, who was being helped by several servants.

"Youma, your Highness!" Haruka reported, her voice grim. "They're all over the city, attacking the citizens."

"Can we contact the Inner Senshi and the Shitennou?" asked Serenity. The Inner Senshi and Shitennou were in North America, trying to restore order and calm after a particularly damaging riot.

"Somebody has cut off our communications, my Queen," said Michiru. "It'll take a while for us to get to them. For the time being, we're on our own."

"Let me go out and hunt down the youma!" Haruka exclaimed, brandishing her sword.

"No," Endymion order, "You two are the only Senshi around. You must remain here to defend the Queen. I shall go to the city to destroy the youma."

"No, my King!" Serenity gasped. "You will be fighting alone!"

"Usako," Endymion said gently, "I won't be alone. The palace guard will be fighting with me."

"My King," Michiru said calmly, "Your going out will weaken our defences here at the palace. The youma might be able to defeat you, and then we'll be doomed."

"But… the city…"

"We have to hold out for the Inner Senshi and the Shitennou to arrive. We'll send what men we can spare into the city, and they'll have to do their best to stem the tide." Michiru's voice was steady, but Endymion could sense the fear in her. _She's worried for Tetsuhara_, he realized. _It must be tearing her up to know that he might be killed because we did not send enough men to defend the city. I'm so sorry, Michiru-chan_.

Michiru turned away from him, and then Haruka gasped as they saw a thin line of tears flow down from one of Michiru's eyes.

Minobu grinned humourlessly as he cut down another construct, no, youma with a submachine gun he had picked off the cooling corpse of a militia soldier. He fired the rounds in a steady stream at the youma, picking at its eyes and mouth, the shells hammering into its nerve centres and rendering it incapable for further combat. The youma collapsed.

_No more victims for you, baka_. Minobu ejected the empty magazine, then snapped in a fresh one from the small satchel he had slung over a shoulder. The streets were now devoid of people, though the ground was choked with dead bodies. Minobu shut out the pain he felt from the death of innocents from his mind. He needed to remain clear-headed, but his right hand tightened on his sword, also picked up from a soldier.

The militia had mobilised and tried to fight back, but Minobu could tell that they had been badly outmatched. Bullets and conventional weaponry was fine against lower youma, but the more powerful youma were immune to such attacks, and required soldiers to close in and use enchanted melee weapons to cut them down.

What made things worse was that the youma had organic tanks. Massive grotesque and armoured beasts that could spew massive balls of energy from the many heads arrayed around their bodies. They were immune to gunfire, and even bazooka/RPG rounds would just bounce off their thick hides. None of the soldiers defending the city had the skill and speed to evade the energy blasts and get close enough to slice the beasts open on their vulnerable necks.

Minobu had already taken out two of them.

He ignored the cold fear in his belly as a radio on a dead soldier crackled to life, warning of enemies attacking the Crystal Palace, calling all available units back to the Palace. _What units? Most of them are dead. _The image of Michiru fighting off horde after horde of youma blasted through his mind. Minobu forced down his panic. _She's a Senshi. She can handle them._

He looked around, trying to sense the location of the nearest group of surviving soldiers. _There, southwest by five hundred meters, half a platoon, in the direction of the Palace. Good. They'd better be alive when I get there_, he thought as he began sprinting through the rubble. He snagged the radio as he ran. Attacking from behind and the flanks was always a good way to spoil an enemy offensive.

"Watch out!" Michiru yelled as she deflected another energy attack from one of the huge beasts with her mirror. The deflected blast slammed into a cluster of youma, blowing them apart. But two more groups appeared close behind.

Haruka heard her warning in time, and dodged a line of energy from a youma. Her sword lashed out, cutting apart two youma in half. "There's too many of them!"

Their white fuku's were stained with dirt and blood, some of it their own, some of it from the youma. Cuts and wounds covered their bodies, and Michiru knew they could not hold out for much longer. She could feel her own strength fading away from loss of blood or use of her energy. And she had been using a lot of her energy in the battle.

King Endymion fought alongside them, his sword a brilliant gleam of light and infused with the power of the Golden Crystal as he held the line ahead of a troop of palace guardsmen, but even he was tiring quickly.

Serenity was forced to sit this one out, due to her pregnancy, but Michiru knew that they really could have used her power and the Ginzuishou. And it might yet come to that, especially if they lose…

_No! _Michiru told herself sternly. _We are Senshi, we cannot lose! _But the wave of youma seemed never ending, and Michiru could not see any clear leader of the enemy force for her or Haruka to attack.

Another youma whipped its barbed tail at her, and she bit back a scream as it tore out a piece of flesh from her side. Haruka decapitated it the next instant, but was attacked by another group of youma. Michiru stayed on the ground, trying to overcome her pain and continue the fight.

She saw Haruka screaming as a youma hit her in her stomach, almost tearing away the white fabric of the fuku, and that gave Michiru the strength to pick herself up and use her power.

"Submarine Reflection!" She called out, the attack smashing around Haruka and freeing her from the youma assailing her. Haruka stumbled towards her, and Michiru used her power again, desperately fighting off the fatigue in her body.

_We can't keep this up for much longer!_

Minobu ran for the soldiers, thoughts of Michiru and the Palace gone from his mind as mind and deed become one, allowing him to fight through any youma which dared to stop him. There was no extraneous thought, no other concern except the will to kill any youma which stood in his path. His sword was red with blood, while he had run out of ammunition halfway through his journey. His path was littered with the broken and beaten bodies of youma.

He could hear the sound of gunfire becoming louder as he fought his way through another group of youma. His blade flashed like quicksilver, Minobu using every trick he had learnt in more than ten years of battle. Always attacking, always seeking out his enemy's weak points, moving constantly to avoid their own ranged attacks. A pale grey fire engulfed his blade, his own power enhancing the weapon's abilities.

Then he was through the press of youma, and Minobu snapped from _muga_. He needed to take stock of the situation, and that required him to think and plan beforehand.

There was silence all around him as he stared at the group of battered soldiers, and they all stared back at him in shock. He didn't quite understand why they were looking at him that way, but when they switched their attention from him to the scene behind him, he understood. He turned round, and saw an incredible sight.

It was a long thoroughfare, and everywhere along it was destroyed youma on the ground. From where they were standing, it seemed as though he had fought through an entire army of them to get to the soldiers. No youma was left alive.

"Minobu-san?" A guard asked tentatively, which made him look back at them. He recognized the guard, Hanson, who would often take the morning shift and therefore be the one to allow him into the Palace grounds. The soldier was not badly hurt, but dirt and blood covered him.

"Hanson, good to see you," Minobu nodded. He raised his voice. "Who's in command here?"

Hanson shook his head, "Captain Nagasa. But he's shell shocked. And we've no other officers." He stepped aside, as did a few other soldiers to reveal a soldier in slightly more prestigious uniform, clutching his head in fear and hugging his knees to his chest.

"Shit." Minobu cursed. Then he made a quick decision. In battle, soldiers naturally gravitate to whoever had the will and gumption to lead and take action. _Take action, do something, even if it's the wrong thing to do,_ Ishida-_sensei_ had told him before in the leadership and command course.

"Okay," he said, "All of you are now under my command. I know I don't wear an uniform, but that's the least of our worries right now. The Palace is under attack, and we need to get there ASAP."

He looked around the soldiers, about twelve of them, and about half were practically pissing in their pants. "Any questions? If not, let's go."

"Sir!" A soldier who was near tears wailed, "I don't want to die! Please, let's just stay here!" Then all of a sudden, the other troopers were begging him to leave them alone as well.

Minobu nodded to himself. He should have expected it, really. He also knew how to deal with this sort of problem. He walked forward, grabbed a pistol from Hanson, who was looking at his comrades with disgust, and fired off a round into the wall beside the sobbing trooper's head. They stopped their begging immediately, the echo of the round fading away gradually into the ruined city. They gaped at him in shock.

He glared daggers at them. "You all knew when you put on this uniform what it entailed. You all swore an oath. I expect you to upkeep that oath, to death if needs be. My next round will not miss. If I have to kill one of you to keep the rest of you moving, I will do it. Now, anybody want to remain behind?" _If I cannot have their respect, I will damn well take their fear._

He started moving, and he did not need to look back to see the twelve men all following him.

They left the paralysed Captain behind. The soldiers followed the dark man with scars along his arms and steely eyes that promised nothing but death to those opposing him. To the Place, where the battle was still ongoing, and where the number of enemies was highest. After what he had threatened to do, none of them were going to disobey him.

Better to take on the youma with a pocket knife.

Come on, I need some reviews here! It can't be that bad, right?


	4. Death Duel

I don't own Sailor Moon. The original characters and story all belong to Naoko Takeuchi.

One of the new characters, Michi Noketsuna, is borrowed from… elsewhere. Regards to Bob Charette for this awesome character as well as the tragic figure of Minobu Tetsuhara that serves as inspiration for my Minobu. The novels I referenced for some of the haikus were _Wolves on the Border_, _Heir to the Dragon_, and _Wolf Pack_. Eiji Fuchida, Raylic Sainze, and Gerald Akuma are my own creations.

This is just something that I felt would be pretty fun to write. Senshi/general pairings, but with a bit of a twist.

Beryl didn't turn all of Endymion's generals the first time round. Four died at her hands when they were unwilling to break and betray their oaths. Several millennia later, they had finally returned. But they are different from the Inner Shitennou, and are far more than they once were. Will they remember their lost loves?

_The singing blade flies_

_Past the yellowed leaves,_

_Endless pain in wake_

_Royal Palace, Crystal Tokyo_

"Back off, evil demons!" King Endymion lashed out with his sword, cutting a swathe through the youma pressing hard against the remaining warriors and guards of the Palace. He feared for his pregnant wife and the people of the city, and that lent him desperate strength as he summoned the powers of the Golden Crystal in his battle.

"Rose Thorn Tornado!" He held up his hands, and a whirling rush of thorny roses sprang from them, cutting into the youma and destroying many of them. The surviving youma fell back rather than face the fury of the King.

Mamoru didn't feel like a King right now, just a tired warrior. He rested his sword with its tip on the ground, trying to catch his breath after the energy he had expended on that last attack. The youma seemed to be mostly weak ones, but they were dangerous in large numbers.

And the numbers he and his guards had faced was very, very large indeed.

Michiru and Hakura were limping heavily, holding each other up. They looked absolutely tired, as though a slight breeze would be enough to push them over. The rest of the palace defenders were even worse off. Many soldiers laid panting on the ground, too weak from their wounds to even stand up. The other half were cowering behind him.

Endymion wished the other Senshi and Shitennou were around, but with their communications cut off, and youma intercepting anybody trying to sneak out of the city, it was useless to think that they could arrive in time.

The youma formed up into nice neat rows before him, and Endymion got a feeling that this was just a temporary stay of execution. Then the rows neatly divided into two, to reveal a small entourage of what he recognised to be important personages of the enemy army.

The youma, no, man standing in front of the small group was clad in gold and black robes. He reeked of dark power, which manifested itself in the form of dark wisps of vapour that literally emanated from his pale skin. He had bone white hair, and a spindly body that nevertheless told of hidden strength. The man would have been handsome if not for the perpetual sneer on his face, and the cruelty in his eyes. He regarded Endymion with contempt.

The man spoke, in a triumphant tone, "I am Garz, the commander of these youma. King Endymion, yield. You have lost, and any more battle will only result in a tragedy."

"No. You have come here with your armies and evil intent, taking the lives of innocent people. To yield to you would only mean destruction for even more people."

Garz smiled, "That can be easily avoided, if you would surrender Earth to the care of us, the Berylians." He paused, "I mean, do you really wish to see your unborn child killed? Or even better, we'll let your bitch wife pop out the little bastard, then put the child to work as a slave for the rest of his life!" The man laughed, and the youma all laughed with him, a thunderous sound that echoed around the ruined palace grounds.

Endymion trembled with rage, "Get out, you demons! Golden Rose Cascade!" He concentrated on his power, and the skies flashed with golden slivers. He was going to make them pay…

And then he felt a sudden, sharp pain in his chest, snapping his focus and preventing him from carrying out his attack. Endymion looked down to see a thin dark knife embedded in his chest. He then looked up at Garz.

The man simply bowed once, then lifted his index finger to his lips, and blew across it, sending a whiff of dark vapours away from the finger tip. "Bang, bang." Garz grinned.

"Mamo-chan!" He heard somebody shout, and he realized it was Serenity. She moved with surprising speed despite her condition, with Michiru and Haruka helping her to catch him as he fell back. "Please, my love, stay with me!"

Endymion gasped, "Serenity…" Then his eyes rolled up, and he blacked out.

"Mamo-chan!" Serenity screamed as Michiru placed a finger on Endymion's wrist to check for a pulse.

Michiru spoke quickly, "Usagi-chan, he's still alive, just wounded very badly. He needs medical attention. As soon as possible."

"Will he have that kind of attention?" Garz asked. "I can guarantee you, Queen Serenity, that your beloved king," his words dripped with sarcasm, "will live as long as you agree to an unconditional surrender."

Serenity stood back up, the Ginzuishou suddenly appearing in her hands. Michiru gasped, "Usagi, you can't! Not in your condition!"

Queen Serenity stood bravely against the youma army. "No, I refuse to let everything we've worked for be destroyed like this." A tear trickled down her porcelain cheek. "Even if I have to sacrifice my child for us to win. Mamo-chan will understand, I hope. Be ready, my Senshi!"

"No!" Michiru said again as Serenity closed her eyes to gather the immense power of the Ginzuishou. The crystal began to glow slightly. Haruka stepped in front of Serenity in case Garz tried the same trick again.

"Ah yes!" Garz crowed, "Let me witness the power of your Ginzuishou!" His confidence was unnerving. It was as if his impending destruction didn't matter at all, as long as he had hurt the royal family.

Then suddenly the youma ranks toppled forward in several massive explosions.

"You're really fond of pyrotechnics, aren't you?" Hanson stared at Lieutenant Blithe, a female officer who had taken charge of the walking wounded seeking to relieve the siege at the palace. She was gleefully chucking grenades one after the other at the enemy youma, while the other soldiers poured weapons fire into the enemy's rear.

"Yeah, so?" Blithe grinned as she finally ran out of grenades. "All troopers! Hold your positions! Let them have it!" The soldiers intensified their gunfire at the youma, who had recoiled from the sudden attack on their rear.

Since Minobu had led them away, their tiny force had grown as they made their way to the palace, picking up Lieutenant Blithe and more than thirty more soldiers, while killing a lot more youma. Minobu had remained in charge, sending a small detachment to the city outskirts to call for help, while he led the rest to the palace.

Minobu had commented that the youma in the city had been disorganized, without any real hierarchy of command, which would normally have been in their favour if not for the fact that there had been so many of the youma around. Thankfully, their numbers had dropped enough that Minobu had been confident enough to send two squads out to contact the other cities and militia, hopefully bringing back the Senshi and shitennou as well.

They had set up just behind the youma army attacking the palace, and it had taken everything the soldiers had not to run when they first saw the youma army, which seemed to number in the hundreds. Minobu had given certain instructions to Blithe, then disappeared.

Hanson didn't know what the weird musician was up to, but he hoped Minobu knew what he was doing when the bulk of the youma finally started charging for their thin line of soldiers.

"Pull back, boys! Move back!" Blithe started shouting.

"What?" Hanson was stunned. "Why?"

Blithe simply grabbed him and pulled him off his position by a wall, where he was blazing away with his rifle. "Because this will force them to split their forces and waste time chasing us down! Time for the rest of the Senshi to get back!"

Understanding dawned on Hanson. _Well, maybe that's why I'm still a lowly corporal! But if that's true, then what's Minobu? A general?_

Michiru saw the mass of youma shift, the weight of their attack no longer facing towards the palace and Serenity, but away from her. Garz seemed flustered for a moment, barking orders at the youma around him. There was still a sizable group facing them, and Michiru wondered if they should take advantage now and attack.

Then all thoughts fled from her mind when a tall figure strode across her view to stand before Haruka. His cheap clothes were torn, blood and gore covered him. But his strides were strong, grinding up the soil under his feet, the sword in his right hand producing a slow screeching sound as he dragged it on the ground behind him, drawing the attention of the gathered armies to him.

Michiru stared at Minobu Tetsuhara. He was like an entirely different person. All traces of the gentle artist and musician was gone now. His steel grey eyes were sharp and keen, a piercing gaze that missed nothing, his stance strong and firm. She had never seen him wearing anything other than long sleeved shirts, and she now understood why. His arms were scarred terribly, the more pale colour of the scars crisscrossing his arms showing up against his dark skin.

He stared at Garz then brought up his sword in an intricate and flowing motion that ended with the sword pointed at Garz. "Pull back now, or be destroyed," said Minobu. Michiru flinched a bit from his tone, which sounded like grating sandpaper. "This is your only warning."

"And who might you be?" Garz asked. "Another of their pathetic defenders?"

"I am Minobu Tetsuhara."

"That name means nothing to me!" Garz said as he suddenly flung out his arms, a dozen dark knives flying at Minobu, Haruka, and Serenity.

Minobu moved into action, his sword seemingly an extension of his body as he slapped the knives out of the air. He didn't move fast, but it seemed that he didn't even need to when the final knife fell to the ground. Minobu finished with his sword still pointed at Garz.

"Impressive. Who are you, really?" Garz asked again.

Micihiru thought she saw a hint of a grin on Minobu's lips when he replied, "Minobu Tetsuhara."

"You think this is funny!" Garz had seemed unflappable earlier on, but that calm was gone as he waved a whole group of youma forward. "Kill them!" About twenty weak youma rushed forward.

Minobu turned back to look at her, and Michiru felt a thrill through her body as he said, "Michiru-san, keep the Queen back. I'll take these youma. I'll hold them off as long as possible. Don't use your powers, and don't engage in combat until I fall." He turned back to the youma, and started walking at a brisk pace towards them, his sword pulled back behind him.

Michiru pulled Serenity back, and they stared in morbid fascination as Minobu Tetsuhara slaughtered the youma. He moved almost languidly through the youma, his sword almost motionless, but the youma simply fell apart whenever they reached him. There seemed to be no haste nor waste in his movements.

"Is this all you have?" Minobu asked as he took up his ready position, his sword pointed at Garz. "These weaklings are hardly fit to soil my blade."

Garz snarled. "Maybe twenty are no match for you, but how about two hundred? Attack!" He waved his hands forward. More youma ran forward in a single line, roaring at their enemy as they sent up a dust cloud in their wild rush at him. Minobu grinned slightly. This was perfect.

He drew the blade of his sword across his throat from the left to right, then back to his left again, then lowered it to the ground as he lightly tapped the ground with the tip of the blade. He finished it by swinging it up above his head, holding it in both hands.

The youma charged on, coming ever closer to him. Minobu gathered his ki, a surge of power that poured into his sword, making it glow slightly. He waited until the youma were only mere meters away, their line bending around him to surround him, before he struck.

He did not yell as he brought the sword down and around from left to right in a vicious slash. To an observer, it would seem that he had mistimed his strike, since none of the youma were near him, and the sword did not touch any of them. But there were fighting techniques and skills that did not require physical contact.

Sword energy lashed out from the blade, slicing destruction through the youma ranks. One instant they were charging down on Minobu, and the next they were eviscerated in half. They exploded in a literal shower of blood and broken bone, ending up as broken heaps on the ground. Garz stood very still, staring at Minobu, who stayed in his final stance, the sword on his right. The wave of sword energy had dissipated just mere inches away from Garz.

Centuries ago, some warriors had learnt that by focusing the powers of their minds and bodies, they could actually attack objects at a distance. Later on, the same technique was adapted for weapons, which gave rise to a wide variety of skills and moves. All of these were extremely deadly, and the warriors who had mastered them were universally feared. However, these masters were far and few. Or at least, they were supposed to be.

Minobu happened to be one of those who had mastered the distance strike technique, many battles ago and many parsecs away.

Using that much energy for the move had drained him slightly, but he refused to show it, standing stolidly between Garz's army and the palace. If Blithe was following his plan, the youma must be dividing their force to deal with the threat on their rear, which meant that there would be less of them to attack the palace itself. If he could kill enough youma before he was killed, Michiru and Haruka would be able to mop up the rest without much problem.

Many of the soldiers with Blithe would be killed, of course, but that was the bloody price of war, and it only brought a numb sensation to him now, instead of the wrenching guilt at the beginning, when he was still a fresh cadet. He didn't think of living past the fight. Fighting to live was a cruel illusion. Far better to go into every battle expecting to die. Everything else was a bonus this way.

"Who are you?" Garz whispered, his tone disbelieving at the speed at which two hundred youma had been destroyed.

"Minobu Tetsuhara." It was the complete and utter truth.

Garz narrowed his eyes, then stepped forward. "You may have defeated my youma, but I am a different matter entirely."

"That remains to be seen."

Garz continued walking forward. "Let me show you the power of true darkness." Dozens of dark tendrils suddenly exploded from his body, all seeking out Minobu, who quickly leapt back to avoid the deadly spikes on the end of each tendril.

"Time to die!" Garz continued to charge forward, his tendrils reaching in front of him.

Minobu slashed his sword at the empty air, but Garz seemed to know better, and brought up some of his dark tendrils to block the onrushing sword energy. The two fighters fought an incredible battle without closing in, dodging and feinting. But this was only the initial stage of the battle, where they sought out each other's weaknesses and strengths. The real fight was yet to come.

Garz was surprised at his opponent. Other than the Senshi, the Generals, and the King and Queen, there wasn't supposed to be anybody with this level of power and skill. He knew he was just slightly weaker than most of the Senshi, which was why he had needed to weaken Neptune, Uranus, and Endymion beforehand with youma. They were supposed to be easy prey for him. He had brought along enough youma for them.

But then this tall warrior had appeared and promptly plopped himself right in the middle of the battle, wiping out more than two hundred of his youma without breaking a sweat, and messing up everything. Garz could not afford to squander any more youma.

And so he was forced to duel the dark man with scars across his arms and the look of death in his eyes. Garz was, quite plainly, terrified.

He gritted his teeth, and dashed in. Tetsuhara's sword energy attacks might be blocked by the tendrils, but he had felt incredible force and strength behind those blows, and it might be even worse when his sword hit physically.

He was right. Garz gasped as Minobu's sword cut through a whole bundle of tendrils, then he quickly counterattacked, forcing the warrior to dodge away before he in turn was hit. Still, there were minor cuts all over the two of them now.

As they duelled, Garz slowly moved towards the palace, and Tetsuhara seemed to pick up on his intent, becoming more aggressive even as the two Sailor Senshi prepared to fight him off. Garz knew they were no match for him in their current condition. It was only a ploy to deal with Tetsuhara.

And then the move he had been expecting came. Tetsuhara over-committed, trying to take him down with a stab to the heart, but Garz simply used his tendrils to hit the sword all along the flat of the blade in opposing directions with tremendous force, breaking the poor quality steel weapon into smithereens before it could reach him. Without a weapon, the irritating warrior would be an easy foe.

It came as a complete surprise when Garz felt two vicious stabs, one across his chest, and one just missing his throat, drawing blood from the thinnest of slices on the skin. The wounds burned even after he had forced Tetsuhara away.

_Just who the heck is this Minobu Tetsuhara? _Then Garz realized he had been asking the wrong question all this while.

Minobu spun away from Garz, his daisho in his hands as he quickly interposed himself between Garz and Michiru.

He knew they were all now staring at him with shock, after his weapons had appeared in his hands when his sword broke. The katana in his right hand and the wakizashi in his left were his spirit weapons, attuned to his Pattern, his soul. They were family heirlooms, passed down for more than two centuries. They had seen countless battles, and been blooded many times. And sometimes, with the blood of their wielders.

The blade of his katana was seventy-nine centimetres in length, long for a katana, but only because it had been forged specially to account for the height that ran in his family. The ancestor, Jackson Hayes, to which the katana had been awarded to had only been a mere soldier, but rewarded nonetheless for his loyalty to his liege lord.

That loyalty had been sorely tested many times over the centuries, attested to by the reddish tinge on the wakizashi. Minobu knew that the stain came from his grandfather's blood when he had committed seppuku. But in the end, the Tetsuharas had always remained loyal. Despite betrayal, dishonour, death.

Until Minobu had been inexplicably dismissed from his lord's service two years ago. He still did not understand why, and the dismissal still hurt him. He had been a good soldier, a loyal samurai. He had always been a conscientious and skilful soldier. Why had he been discharged from the DCMS, without as much as a reason? His discharge had left him confused and seeking direction for a long time.

Minobu shook his head slightly, concentrating on the battle he was still in. Garz stared at him with fear and hatred. The enemy commander said, "I've been asking the wrong question. It's not who you are. What are you?"

He answered, "I am a ronin, a masterless samurai. I am a veteran of a thousand wars. I have waged battle across the stellar reaches, seen horrors beyond your worst nightmares. I have commanded thousands, and killed just as many. Come now, leader of youma, and meet your doom."

Garz nodded once, then suddenly seemed to increase in size, as he let out a terrible scream, his tendrils reaching back towards his much reduced army. Youma tried to shrink back, but they were suddenly grabbed by the dark tendrils. One moment they were there, the next they were simply… gone. Absorbed into Garz. When it was over, Garz had changed into a winged demon that stood more than two meters tall, with even more dark tendrils around him.

His voice was thundered across the battlefield. "My doom? Yours, fool."

_He boosted_, Minobu realized. Users of dark energy could sacrifice the life energy of others for a short increase to their powers. It's often more easy to draw on the life force of weak willed beings like youma rather than normal people, which was what Garz had done. There was something else Graz would have to pay for, of course, like a shortening of his life span, but apparently he thought it was worth it.

Minobu felt even more tired now, but he refused to fall. Garz was more dangerous than ever, and Michiru and Haruka still needed another few minutes to recover enough energy to fight. _It's all down to me. As usual._

Fated to live, fated to fight. Fated to die.

Garz ran towards him, stronger and faster now. Minobu stepped into muga, the state of action without thought. He placed his own safety at the back of his mind, prioritising on inflicting as much damage to his enemy as possible. As they fought, he ignored the excruciating pain all over his body. His control of his ki liberated him from that.

And it all felt so familiar.

Michiru stared on in horror as Minobu was cut into ribbons by Garz, blood exploding everywhere as the two fighters went into each other like blood-thirsted maniacs.

Garz stabbed Minobu through an arm, and the ronin would cut across his torso. They hacked at each other, their brutal movements a study in controlled violence. Neither combatant seemed to feel the hits they were taking. Garz had sheer rage on his face, while Minobu's was a mask of cool indifference.

A final shuddering exchange ended with them flying away from each other. They landed on their feet, and Garz collected a massive sphere of dark energy in his hands almost instantaneously. Minobu simply stayed in place, his arms crossed in front of his bleeding body, his swords tucked at his sides as though in their scabbards. He knelt with one knee on the ground with his eyes closed, and Michiru could see waves of power rising from him.

"No! Minobu-san!" Michiru tried to gather up her own energy for an attack, but she was still too weak. She saw Haruka trying the same, failing, and then quickly stopping a fearful Queen Serenity from using her own power, which would have endangered the unborn child in her womb.

"Dark Blast!" Garz unleashed his energy sphere, a powerful amount of energy which was easily as powerful as her own at full power.

The sphere rushed at Minobu, and Michiru screamed, her feet carrying her all too slowly towards the samurai even though she was already running at full speed.

Then Minobu suddenly looked up with his eyes wide open, and literally ran into the sphere. It slammed into him, but he continued on his path in an impossible haze of motion, with his swords still tucked in his sides. Garz followed up belatedly with another whirling storm of tendrils, but Minobu simply stepped past them, to appear right before a shocked Garz.

Michiru thought she heard Minobu whisper two words, "Endless Pain."

His blades blurred into action, and then it was over. Garz's head fell to the ground first, followed by horizontal slices of his body, which had turned back into human form, piece by bloody piece, the result of Minobu's impeccable swordsmanship. Minobu stood before his dead opponent, and Michiru began to hope that he had not been affected by Garz's energy attack. She took a cautious step towards Minobu. He stood motionless with his ichor covered blades swept out at his sides.

Then blood burst from his mouth and the veins over his body as the attack finally took its fearsome toil. Minobu Tetsuhara fell to the ground as the youma army surged forward.

Only to be blasted into oblivion by a massive series of attacks, consisting of fire, ice, and the other signature powers of the Senshi. Michiru looked up to see the returned Senshi and Shitennou fighting the youma army. She ran to Minobu's fallen body, screaming for Ami all the while.

Minobu woke up to a bright glaring light in his face. He suppressed the urge to groan, then forced his aching body to sit up, which it very reluctantly did. He looked around slowly. _I'm still alive. _He was almost disappointed with that fact.

A nurse came in, "How are you feeling, General Tetsuhara?"

_General?_ Minobu almost wanted to groan out loud. He thought that part of his life was over and done with. "How's the palace?" he asked instead. He definitely did not want to find out why he was suddenly a general. Again.

"Oh. It's fine. After the Senshi returned and destroyed the youma, we've been rebuilding." She took a look at his expression, and elaborated, "It's been a week since the battle."

Minobu stayed silent after that, and the nurse, after realizing that he wasn't the sort to talk, left quickly in the face of his slightly oppressive air and glowering stare.

After she left, he climbed carefully out of his bed, limping slightly and cursing under his breath as he looked around for something other than hospital garb to wear. There was no way he was going to stay here any longer than necessary. He needed time to think, to sort out his own conflicted thoughts, the emotions he had felt.

When Michiru and Haruka walked into the room for a visit mere minutes later, Minobu Tetsuhara was already gone.


	5. Acceptance

I don't own Sailor Moon. The original characters and story all belong to Naoko Takeuchi.

One of the new characters, Michi Noketsuna, is borrowed from… elsewhere. Regards to Bob Charette for this awesome character as well as the tragic figure of Minobu Tetsuhara that serves as inspiration for my Minobu. The novels I referenced for some of the haikus were _Wolves on the Border_, _Heir to the Dragon_, and _Wolf Pack_. Eiji Fuchida, Raylic Sainze, and Gerald Akuma are my own creations.

This is just something that I felt would be pretty fun to write. Senshi/general pairings, but with a bit of a twist.

Beryl didn't turn all of Endymion's generals the first time round. Four died at her hands when they were unwilling to break and betray their oaths. Several millennia later, they had finally returned. But they are different from the Inner Shitennou, and are far more than they once were. Will they remember their lost loves?

_Weapon in scabbard,_

_Spring dawning to winter's chill,_

_Drawn out when needed.___

_Crystal Tokyo_

"Where could he be?" Michiru paced worriedly in the briefing room that the Senshi use in the royal palace. "He could be wounded, or bleeding, or…"

"Relax!" Haruka said sternly, "A big boy like him can take care of himself. Besides, we have other matters to worry about. There's the matter of the invasion."

Almost immediately after the Senshi had arrived back in Crystal Tokyo to mop up the last of the depleted youma army, their orbital sensors had reported of a massive fleet entering the Solar System. Even worse was that several portals had appeared on Earth itself, and youma were pouring through the portals, wrecking havoc everywhere they went. Militias all over the world were hard pressed by the new enemy, and the previous reliance on the Senshi to protect them had left many areas severely under-protected when pressed by a cunning enemy.

The worse part of it was that they still did not know who their new opponents are. There had been no further contact with enemy commanders since Garz, and the rest were all brainless youma fodder, powerful enough to just run amuck and destroy whatever they saw, but not smart enough to give out any information on who they were working for.

The other Senshi had been deployed to take care of the youma infestations, while Michiru and Haruka recuperated from their severe wounds, as well as stay at the palace to defend their King and Queen. Serenity had been frightened quite badly by the battle, and her closest defenders and friends were determined that no harm came to her during her pregnancy.

After skirmishing all over the world for the past few weeks, the Senshi and Shitennou have finally had a slight respite, a chance to get together and compare notes, as well as hash out a strategy to deal with the problem.

Michiru and Haruka had arrived early, and were now awaiting the others. Jupiter and Nephrite were the next warriors to enter the room, haggard from the constant fighting. They leaned on each other as they walked in though the door, clearly tired. As they continued to wait, Michiru watched with some jealousy as she saw Makoto and Nephrite exchange kisses, the show of affection somehow driving away their own exhaustion.

_When will I get somebody like that? When will I meet the other half of my soul? Michiru thought. She had assumed it was to be Minobu, but after the events of the battle, she had realised that she did not know him at all. How could you love somebody you did not know?_

She had remembered some memories from the Silver Millennium of her relationship with Magnetite, but those had been extremely vague. He seemed like an intangible presence to her, something she could see but just could not grasp.

Next to enter were Pluto and Saturn. Setsuna looked extremely troubled as she took a seat, while Hotaru looked imperturbable, even when Ami and Zoisite staggered in, almost as though they were going to fall over. Michiru went immediately to their aid, only to be waved off by Ami.

"We're just tired, that's all," said the blue haired Senshi, "We haven't had a good sleep for several days now, fighting off the youma."

"And trying to find out just who the enemy is," Zoisite added with a sigh. "So far, nothing."

"Don't worry, we'll find out sooner or later," Makoto said with conviction in her voice. She slammed a fist into a palm, leaving no doubt that the attitude that made her one of the best Senshi fighters was still there. "And then we'll make them regret the day they decided to mess with us."

"Make who regret?" Rei asked as she came in with Jadeite.

"Dear, I think Makoto-chan means whoever is behind the attacks," Jadeite said with a tired grin. "I think the rest of us would agree that whoever was responsible would pay dearly for hurting the people of Earth."

"And they will be punished," King Endymion stated firmly as he came into the meeting room with Queen Serenity. Minako and Kunzite trailed behind them, both of them keeping a wary eye on Usagi and her obvious discomfort.

Nephrite exclaimed, "My king, you should be resting!" The Shitennou fairly leapt to his feet. "You're still recovering…"

Endymion smiled reassuringly at his friend, "I heal quickly, and the power of the Golden Crystal helps. We do need everybody here." He looked around, "Where is Magnetite? I thought he should be here?"

"We couldn't find him." Haruka spoke first, apologetically. "He left the hospital without informing anybody. Not even the staff saw him leave."

Endymion shook his head slowly, "We need his power, and his skill. Michiru, why did he leave?"

"I don't know. I think," she hesitated, "he hasn't recovered his memories of the past yet."

"But that sort of power should mean that his power has awakened, and he should have some memory of Mamoru-san," said Ami, "After all, that is what happened to the Senshi." The Inner Senshi nodded in agreement, recalling what had happened in the past.

"Maybe the spell the Queen used back in the Silver Millennium only worked on the Senshi, and not the generals?" Hotaru mentioned, using one hand to brush back a wisp of hair back behind her ears. "Kunzite-san and the others were imprisoned with Beryl for centuries too before they were brought back when Beryl was defeated, and the Second Shitennou were all killed. Their circumstances were quite different from ours."

"That's the least of our problems," Minako rapped the table lightly. As the leader of Queen Serenity's guard, she was the de facto commanding general of the world's forces, along with her husband Kunzite. "I'm very sorry, Michiru, but Magnetite would have to wait. We have more pressing problems."

"Yes," Kunzite agreed, pressing a button on the table, which activated a screen on the wall. A map of the world appeared on the screen, with silver and black dots on it. Silver for their forces, black for the youma. "Our forces are spread thin, trying to anticipate attacks from the enemy."

"And we still don't know anything about them, while they seem to know all about us." Serenity grimaced, "Setsuna-chan, do you have any information on them?"

The Senshi of Time shook her head. "No. Every time I tried to look into the future or the past, there was no image." She shivered visibly, "I think, I fear, the Time Gates have lost their power."

The room's occupants all sat in shocked silence.

In a deserted alley of Crystal Tokyo, there was an old bridge, left from the old city. The place was dirty and dark, filled with rubbish and other trash. The police rarely came down to this area, and even the city's cleaners stayed clear of it. There were rumours of ghosts and monsters in the area.

Which was not true. There was only an old man living under the bridge. But even old men could be more deadly than monsters.

Minobu Tetsuhara was not surprised by the sight of several decapitated and decayed youma when he walked towards the underside of the bridge, old newspapers wrapping around his boots and then blown away by the wind. Many of those papers were stained with greenish youma ichor.

Strangely, the place did not stink, despite the presence of heaps of old electronic equipment and other flotsam, and despite the dead youma. Minobu knew that the man who lived under the bridge would tinker around with the trash, picking out useful stuff, and selling them on the street to passer-bys. The old man earned little, but he spent little as well. A frugal existence, but one that he seemed content with.

Minobu had gone back to the wreckage of his home after he had sneaked out of the hospital, and changed into normal street clothes. He certainly wasn't going to go around in a hospital shift! He had also taken all his prized possessions. His _erhu_, all his money, a small wooden box, and a bag stuffed with the box and some clothes. There was nothing else that he needed.

The samurai still didn't understand what was going on. He needed time to sort out his scattered memories, to understand what he had to do next. And he needed somebody who would listen to him, and give him advice. He did not want to turn to Michiru, as seeing her only made him more confused. That left him with only a very small and select group of, well, they weren't exactly his friends, but they would understand.

Eiji Fuchida wasn't in town, Minobu had found out when he had gone to the underground casino where Eiji hung out most of the time when he was in Crystal Tokyo. A flunky had told him Eiji was in the former United States. Gerald Akuma was somewhere in Europe with his dojo. And Minobu had no idea where the obsessive and half insane swordsman Raylic Sainze was. That left Michi Noketsuna. Minobu shivered slightly, wondering what the gritty old samurai might have to say.

He paused just before the underpass of the bridge, which was blocked with several old salvaged curtains that served to seal off Michi's makeshift home. Minobu steeled himself before entering. Michi Noketsuna was known to send young children running in tears at the sight of him.

"Are you going to stand out there all day long, or do I have to drag you in?" Michi barked out from behind the curtain. Minobu blinked. He should have known that Michi would sense his presence. He pushed past the curtains, and walked in.

Noketsuna was even more ancient than the last time Minobu had seen him, his once black hair faded to white. He walked with a stoop and a limp, caused by numerous injuries during the long course of a life full of conflict. His muscles, while shrivelled from the peak of his youth, were still quite sturdy for a man of his age.

The most striking feature he had was the dead white orb in his left eye socket, which caused many men unable to meet his piercing gaze for more than a moment. It was the same left eye which scared young children, which was why Michi wore an eye-patch over it when going out. The scuttlebutt Minobu had heard when he was still young was that Michi, like the old Norse god Wotan, had sacrificed his eye for wisdom.

Minobu knew better now. Michi had sacrificed his eye for vengeance.

The old man was seated before a table, eating from a bowl of rice before him with a pair of chopsticks. There were no other dishes save for a tiny jar of dried fish and a steaming cup of tea made by stirring some tea leaves with some boiling water. Michi looked up at Minobu, and Minobu tried to suppress the pity he felt for this great warrior, who had once commanded entire armies.

The rest of the space was filled with a small cot and several ramshackle chairs. An old gas stove that looked to be older than Minobu took up a dark corner, while a pot of cooked rice laid nearby. The rice looked to be from yesterday. Some tools were scattered on a small cardboard box that served as a workbench. Minobu clamped down hard on his mouth, forcing himself to stay silent. His eyes gave him away.

"Save your pity for somebody who deserves it," Michi snapped, knowing what his former subordinate was thinking. "Now, tell me about your problem."

"How did you know I have a problem?"

Michi put down his food, and laughed harshly, "Your _ki is restless, and your emotions are being held back as though by a dam. And you have never come to me except when you are troubled."_

"Touché." Minobu admitted. "I just need, well, somebody to listen to me."

"Proceed." Michi said, pouring a cup of tea for Minobu as Tetsuhara began to tell his tale.

He talked for almost an hour, starting from the day when he had met Michiru, the day when the nightmares had begun. He saw Michi narrow his eyes at his description of his first dream, the memory of the seppuku ceremony. Then polite interest as he described the rest of his dreams, the bits he could remember. Then Michi listened intently to the account of the battle in Crystal Tokyo.

Minobu ended his tale, "After I got back to my apartment, I came here." He looked at Michi, as though expecting an answer.

"Did you expect me to wave my hands, say a few words of wisdom, and solve all your problems?" Michi said sarcastically. "Did you even think there was a problem in the first place?"

"I remember everything, but I swore another oath…"

"Which was eventually rendered null and void," Michi reminded him, "And for good reason."

"I did my job. I never refused an order. Not even when it might have cost me my life. Hell, I lost count of the suicide missions I've done."

"Irrelevant. The Coordinator had his reasons for voiding your oath. You are free to swear your loyalty to this King Endymion."

"What manner of samurai am I if I give away my loyalty so easily?" Minobu demanded. "Is the price of my honour that cheap? I thought loyalty, once given, is not to be given away so easily!"

Michi turned his left eye orb on Minobu, "Does it matter?" The orb seemed to reflect cold deadly light back at Minobu as Michi continued, "Only you know your own worth. It's not something decided by the fickle judgement of others."

"But…"

"The time for war has come. What," he stared at Minobu, "will you do? Weigh the odds, Minobu-san. The soldiers of this world require leadership. Their current leaders are strong, but still untested in real battle. You, on the other hand, have faced true hell."

"And paid the price for it." Minobu said bitterly.

Michi nodded in agreement, "And paid the price. That education was hard earned. You owe it to the warriors who have died to honour their sacrifice."

"But I don't need to swear my allegiance to King Endymion."

"Perhaps not, but it'll be a source of disharmony, a festering unease that may prove fatal." Michi started eating again, "I've said far too much. The decision is yours. Follow your heart. No matter which path you take, you will abandon some of your honour in the course of fulfilling your honour. This is the lot of samurai. It took me years to know that."

"I don't understand." Minobu was about to ask for more when he sensed several sources of power approaching. His pulse quickened as he identified those sources. _Michiru__! Why are you here now?_

Michi smiled, "As you were taking your sweet time to walk here, I took the opportunity to call the Royal Palace. I left a message for the guards, which I expect to be sent up the chain of command."

Minobu thought about running off, but the other side was sealed with several pieces of cardboard to keep out the cold wind, and he really hated to wreck Michi's flimsy shelter. He resigned himself, and sat back down.

Uranus pushed open the flap first, staring around the small room with some disgust before walking in. Neptune and King Endymion were the next to walk in. They were all dressed in their uniforms, and the white of the Senshi's fukus was a startling contrast to the grimy and blackened surroundings.

Michiru spotted Minobu as soon as she had entered, and she went immediately to him. She grasped his hands as she sat beside him, her eyes imploring him. For what? Minobu kept all expression off his face. What was there for him to say? That he had lied to her? For so long?

"Welcome, Your Majesty," Michi stood and bowed formally to Endymion, his bow deep and low as befit greeting a lord of the land. "I apologise for my clothes and my pathetic home. Please make yourself at home." Minobu couldn't tell if Michi was being deliberately sarcastic or truly sincere.

Endymion was clearly not expecting this sort of greeting, and he stared at Michi for a while before Minobu spoke up.

"Your Highness, this is Michi Noketsuna. Michi, King Endymion, Lady Neptune, and Lady Uranus."

Michi appraised Michiru and Haruka carefully, and Minobu thought Michi looked as though he was sizing up Michiru, rather like the parents of some of his subordinates during matchmaking sessions he had the misfortune to attend, as was his duty as their commanding officer, all the more to provide a good reference for the brides and grooms to be.

It made him feel even more uneasy.

Endymion did not waste time, immediately asking Minobu, "General Magnetite, I remind you of your oath to me, made in eons past. Will you renew that oath, and serve me in this age of conflict, and beyond?"

Well, that was the sticker, wasn't it? The very problem he wanted to avoid. If he became Magnetite, he would be abandoning everything he had ever been. Or would he?

He looked at Michi, and understanding came to him. Either way, he would have to abandon an oath. And right now, Endymion needed his strength. Michiru needed his help. This world needed whatever he could offer. The future and its problems down the path could wait. He'd deal with the consequences when they come. Right now, nothing else mattered except serving this man in royal garb who he remembered from his dreams.

Minobu knelt before Endymion, his daisho materialising by his side, and said solemnly, "I am Minobu Tetsuhara, and I pledge all that I am and possess in your service, to defend you and yours no matter the odds. This I swear, on pain of death."

He raised his katana towards Endymion, who took the katana by the hilt and raised it to his hand, drawing blood by dragging it across his palm. Endymion grimaced slightly from the pain, before handing the katana back to Minobu, who spoke again.

"This katana was gifted to my ancestor two hundred years ago for service and loyalty  rendered during a time of great conflict. It has tasted much of war and blood, every time it has been drawn. It is Named Duty's Call, and I am honoured that my lord has chosen to blood the blade," Minobu raised his own hand to the keen edge of the katana, and with a move even more vicious than Endymion's, sliced the blade deeply into his own palm, his face calm throughout. His control over his _ki_ made the cut painless. Blood spurted from the cut, but subsided quickly.

"Arise, General Magnetite, and take your place by my side as a member of my court." Endymion offered his hand to Minobu to lift him up, and as Minobu clasped his bleeding hand with Endymion's own, a pale white light glowed around the two men.

The memories slammed into Minobu like a wave, the feelings, the pain, the ecstasy all searing into his mind and soul. All the good, and all the bad, in equal amounts. He remembered what he had been, what he had done. His oaths to his prince, the times they had spent together fighting, training. He remembered falling hard for an aqua haired princess.

He remembered failing her when she needed him most. And dying at the hands of Beryl.

_Never again, Minobu swore to himself. __Never again!_

Michiru stared in amazement as the white light slowly faded, and Minobu collapsed onto the floor, apparently overcome by his memories. According to the Inner Senshi, the same thing had happened to the Shitennou when they had recovered their memories.

She reached out for him, when her view was suddenly cut off by the old man. Noketsuna had a bucket of ice-cold water in his hands, and he calmly dumped its contents onto Minobu. Endymion leapt back to avoid getting his clothes wet from the splashing water.

"What the hell!" Minobu sat up with a jerk from the shock, then his eyes quickly regained their focus. He glared at Noketsuna, who did not look in the least sorry for his brusque actions.

"Now that we've gotten this business out of the way, I think you should on your way, eh?" Michi grunted. "There's little time to waste emoting on this sensitive bullshit. Get up, and get out. You have matters to attend to, boy."

"Mister Noketsuna," Endymion started forward, a bit angry at his callous treatment of his general and the scathing remarks from the old man. "I would appreciate it if you were more respectful towards me and my warriors."

Michi stared at the King of Earth, and Michiru stepped in, then froze as she caught the old man's eye, or rather, the white thing that was in his left eye socket. It was a gaze that could stop entire armies, such was the intensity and sheer power that laid behind the eyes. Haruka also stepped in, but was also held frozen by the same deadly gaze.

"I was this boy's mentor for a long time, King Endymion," Michi said slowly, "I will not hesitate to push or punish him if it is necessary. I would not presume to do the same for you."

"Wait, my King," said Magnetite, still dripping wet. Michiru did not quite understand how he managed to endure the cold. "That's not exactly true. I have a suggestion."

Endymion nodded, "Let's hear it then."

"I know we're supposed to be your generals and your advisors, but we're also your best fighters. That means we almost always on the frontlines." Michiru nodded, that made sense, and Minobu had described accurately what the Senshi and Shitennou had always done. "But that also means that it's harder for us to know the overall tactical situation if we're engaged in combat. Part of the reason why the previous defence of the city was so haphazard was because Michiru and Haruka were responsible for defending both the Palace and Crystal Tokyo. When the Palace got attacked, there was nobody left to organise the city garrison, which was also why they got chewed up bad."

Michiru understood immediately what he meant, "You want us to have an overall battle coordinator."

"And you already have somebody you wish for the role." Endymion said. It was not a question.

"Hai. The best person for the role is already here." He looked at Michi pointedly. "So how about it, Noketsuna-_sama_?"

Noketsuna looked away briefly, but his face hinted at terrible conflicts endured when he returned his gaze on them. "I was never much of a samurai. Even less of a soldier. Now, I am not even that, just a broken down old man. I am an oathbreaker. There are others better suited to this. There is no shortage of military men who can do the same for you here."

"That was a long time ago. And you are the most qualified person we have right now. Nobody else knows interstellar warfare as much as you do." Minobu turned to Endymion, "My king, Noketsuna-_sama_ was once a Warlord, commanding the armies of more than 50 worlds. He achieved victory against admirable odds, saving his people from disaster. There is nobody else I would rather have at my back."

"No, I will not." Michi's voice was suddenly full of fire and unleashed pain. "I have lived a life of lies. I have betrayed too many people, did too much in the shadows."

"Then what is this?" Minobu took out a small box from a clutter of flotsam. "Don't tell me you've forgotten, Michi Noketsuna, _Tai-shu of Dieron." He hurled the box savagely onto the floor, the cover breaking off from the impact. Two gleaming insignias fell out of the box. Michiru saw that they were green Kanji characters, denoting the word 'Five', and a bar underlining the words. "Everything you said to me, applied to yourself too. Or was all that crap about honour just more bullshit?" Minobu practically shouted out the last few words._

The two men glared at each other, and Michiru thought for a moment that they would come to blows. The air hung heavy with their strong words and stronger emotions.

"Any more testosterone, and this place would explode." Michiru said firmly. All the tension suddenly bled away from her stinging tone.

"Sorry," Minobu rubbed the back of his head apologetically. Michiru remembered that back in the long ago past, he would do the exact same thing whenever he realised he was in the wrong. She smirked. Some things just never change.

Noketsuna sighed heavily. "No, Minobu, you are right. I cannot just stay away either." He stood before Endymion, "If you would have me, I will serve you to the best of my ability. But," he smiled sadly, "I will not take any oaths. I have broken far too many of them."

"Very well then." Endymion beamed. "Since Magnetite vouched for you, I shall trust his judgement. From now on, you will be my war advisor, and also, I hope my conscience." Then he looked over Minobu critically, "Minobu, don't you feel cold?"

Minobu blinked for several moments, before he slapped his forehead with one hand. With his memories returned to him, he called up his own armour, the black armour of the Earth's generals, replacing the wet clothes. Michiru stood next to him, and to her surprise he did not flinch away this time.

He looked at her, and she saw the quiet determination that had first attracted her. He did not need to speak for her to know that he loved her, had always loved her. _I will never let you go._

Minobu did not know what he was doing when he slipped an arm around Michiru's waist. He was even more surprised when she didn't push him or the arm away. The memories had been so long ago, but he remembered them like it was yesterday.

They clashed with his memories of his present life, a jarring clash chord that simply emphasized just how weird his life was. And this thing about him being a reborn soul from the Silver Millennium? It still wasn't the strangest part of his life yet.

He felt stronger now, the magic that was part of him as a general of Earth adding to that. He could sense that the power that belonged to him as his birthright as one of Endymion's protectors was interfering with his _ki_. It would take time to integrate the two flows of energy. If he tried to use them before he had merged the flows, he'd probably kill himself from the energy clash.

"Gather up your things. We're going to the palace." Endymion said.

"No, General Magnetite isn't." Michi said. "He's going somewhere else."

"Huh?"

Michi took out a piece of paper, and scribbled a few words on it. He handed the piece of patper to Minobu. Minobu glanced at it. It was an address. Of some place in China.

"This is an address. A rural village in China," Michi explained, "Raylic Sainze is not in the village but somewhere in the general vicinity. We will need all the help we can get, and you are going to find him."

"Why me? We could always get some soldiers in China to find Ray."

Michi shook his head, "No, because Sainze might simply kill them out of hand. He only gave me this address because I was the only one he trusted not to disturb his study of the blade without good reason. His isolation from the rest of the world has likely driven him insane, more of a weapon and less of a human being. You are the only one with a chance of reaching whatever humanity he has left without getting killed in the process."

"The Senshi could also do the same." Michiru offered. "We should be powerful enough…"

"None of you understand what you're getting into," Michi murmured. "Okay then," he pointed to Michiru and Haruka, "Both of you accompany Minobu. Lady Uranus, I hope you'll keep an eye out for any naughty behaviour. And Minobu, I expect you to comport yourself as befits a samurai." Minobu tried to fight back the burning sensation on his face. He _had been thinking of the possibilities. "Now go. The enemy might attack soon."_

Minobu looked at Michiru as he held her hand, and her eyes, her face, told him more than words ever could. Then they teleported away in a flash of light.

The bald man paused in the midst of his meditation, sensing a difference in the air. There had been many interruptions recently, but this one seemed significant. Something, somewhere, had changed, and it felt as though it might affect him. His senses were all at full sensitivity. It was night time, and the moon hung high in the sky, casting down its pale light, past his windows and into the small hut. Outside, the wind howled, whipping around the grass leaves clinging for their lives to the thin, hard soil.

He had lost count of the time, of how long he had been here, devoting himself to understanding the secrets of the 23rd technique, "Soul Destroyer". He had the basics of that final technique down pat, but it could be even more devastating… if only he wasn't disturbed so frequently!

At first, it had been simple villagers, easily turned away without anybody getting hurt. They had stopped coming by after they realised that whoever lived in that small hut on the top of the windswept hill had no wish to be disturbed. His studies had proceeded smoothly in that interval. Then recently, it had been one group of strange monsters after another, chasing those same villagers, who had somehow gathered around the hill for refuge. The monsters had been dispatched of quickly and effortlessly. And yet they kept coming, and the hermit wondered if he should leave his hut and kill whoever was behind the attacks, if only so that he could get back to his studies and stop the constant bugging from the villagers. They weren't the worst of things plaguing him.

He could not remember what it was that tugged at him every time he fell asleep, the nightmares, the incredible dreams he was having. He had hated those dreams, hated the strange emotions, of fear, love, pain, and countless others that he had felt for the merest instants whenever he woke up. As a result, he had not slept for several weeks now, using meditation to rest himself instead.

But the dreams, and the nightmares, and the attendant emotions were beginning to impinge upon him even during the midst of his meditations.

Physical enemies like the monsters were fine. He had no difficulty fighting those. In fact, he had enjoyed killing them. But how does one fight something without shape, without form?

How does one fight his own dreams?

"YAAAAARRR!!!" Raylic Sainze, the Slayer of Heavens, roared in insanity-tinged frustration, his sword energy exploding from within the depths of his soul, passing through the walls of the hut and slashing long deep furrows in the flanks of the hill and the heaps of dead youma lying scattered on the ground.

The uncaring wind continued to howl.

Well, that's it, I guess. Any more reviews? No? Oh well. Many thanks to those who have reviewed my fic. Or even if you read this load of crap and didn't review, thanks anyway.

Raylic Sainze, as most readers have guessed by now, is one of the reborn generals of Earth. Why did I make him bald? Because it seemed fun!


	6. Forlorn Memories

_He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. Is not life a hundred times too short for us to bore ourselves?_

-Friedrich Nietzsche__

_You want to serve in the Walking Dead? Let me warn you it's suicide missions, every last one of them, with no support and no way back out until we do whatever we have to do. __And that means ten little troopers… nine little troopers… eight little troopers, until we're singing Glory be to God that there are no more of us, cause one of us could drink it all alone!_

_So, if any of you sorry bastards want a transfer out of 4th Division, just step this way…_

-Master Sergeant Deis Mueller to replacements

"Oh my god…" Michiru breathed in shock as they surveyed the ruins around them.

They had teleported to the coordinates of the village address the old man had given Minobu, only to find it a blackened wreck. Charred corpses littered the streets, dried blood and gore in haphazard piles everywhere. There was a terrible stench in the air, and Michiru had to focus herself to avoid fainting. She looked over at Haruka, who was also holding her nose with one hand. She could see tears in Haruka's eyes, and her own vision was getting dimmed. She held a hand to her mouth, trying to hold back her emotions.

Minobu did not seem perturbed, as though this was nothing new to him. His face was rock hard, and utterly expressionless, but there was an aura of anger about him, a building rage that Michiru somehow knew was there. An urge to battle the parties responsible, to kill. His eyes were cold chips of steel.

"We have to look for survivors, and bring them to a safe location," said Haruka.

Minobu shook his head, "Don't bother. There won't be any survivors left here. From what I can see, this village town had a population of about a few hundred." He squatted down and placed a hand on the blood soaked ground, "The bad news is that I think more than half of them are dead. The good news is that the other half might still be alive."

"We'll need to find them." Michiru took a long look around.

"Yes, we will," Magnetite agreed. "Sainze can wait. I doubt the youma can kill him anyway. The strange thing is, I should be able to sense his presence this close, but there's nothing. Just a blank. Don't tell me…" Minobu's voice trailed off

"What is it?"

He shuddered, "Oh, nothing. Never mind. Anyway, we need to find those remaining villagers, as soon as we can, and bring them to somewhere safe." He started walking briskly down a street. "Follow me."

They left the small township, with Minobu inspecting the ground every few hundred meters. Michiru and Haruka followed him, trusting in his ability.

"Where did you learn to track like that?" Michiru asked him.

"Recon school. And experience is the best teacher." He smiled sadly.

"You were a soldier?" Haruka trudged alongside them, her sword held out and ready for sudden attacks by enemies.

"Yes, I was once a soldier." His eyes stayed on the trail. "And in some ways, I guess I'm still a soldier. Isn't that what the senshi are?"

"Yes, but we're more like protectors, guardians of the realm, than an organized military."

"True enough. I guess I was more like a professional soldier."

"What was your childhood like? I can remember the past, but the present you is so… different." Michiru said, trying to find out more about this man with so many secrets. He was so much like the Magnetite she remembered, but also so different in other ways. During the Silver Millennium, Magnetite had been a calm man, whose steadiness was like a pool to those around him. But this incarnation made the one she knew in the Silver Millennium to be putty in comparison. During the battle, he was so cold, so hard that it seemed like nothing could break him.

Minobu's eyes grew distant, "I grew up an orphan. My father was killed in battle, and my mother died of heartbreak. I spent my childhood being raised by my great grandfather. He was a stern man, very strict. When I was twelve, he sent me to a military academy to learn the arts of war."

Michiru was aghast, "What kind of person would do that to a child of 12 years old? I didn't know this sort of thing was allowed here."

He shrugged, "Where I come from, far, far away, as you would say, it's a bit different. My family is samurai, sworn to the defence of our nation. I was to be a samurai as well, following in the footsteps of my forebears. In any case, I've got no complaints. It was my destiny, my fate."

Magnetite turned towards her, "How about you? How was your childhood like?"

Michiru sighed. "I grew up in a rich family, but my parents never really seemed to love me. I was packed off to a boarding school as soon as I was old enough. They sent me money, but never anything else. Not letters, not even a phone call…"

Minobu reached for her hand, grasping it tight, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I found Haruka, I found my Princess, my true family." She was wistful, thinking of the difficult times she had as a senshi, before the rise of Crystal Tokyo. "I have everything I ever wanted, and I was happy. It was enough."

"Have you tried contacting them?"

"No, they didn't want to have anything to do with me. I guess I didn't want to have anything to do with them either."

He nodded, perhaps not quite understanding her situation, but certainly willing to accept her decision.

_My turn._ She asked, "So, what did you do as a soldier?"

_So, what did you do as a soldier?_ Minobu was struck by her words, so simple and innocent in query, but raising the spectres of his past, one of his earliest memories of battle in his current life rushing unbidden back into his mind's eye…

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 "_Chu-i_ Tetsuhara," the harsh voice of his superior officer, _Tai-i_ Givens, rasped in Minobu's ear while he looked at the darkening sky, "Move your unit forward, get past the river, turn their right flank, and silence those heavy guns covering the bridgehead. I don't care how you do it. We need to seize the bridge in the next ten minutes, or we'll all be dead."

_Bloody higher ups_, thought Minobu, _always asking for the impossible_. "Sir, with all due respect, that will get me and my men killed."

"It's either die now or die later for us. You have your orders. Carry them out. Fulfil your duty as samurai."

"Yes sir," Minobu gritted his teeth, then switched off his headset. There was no other option, and he had his orders. He was samurai, and he would carry out his orders even if it was suicide. _Especially_ if it was suicide.

It was nobody's fault that they were outnumbered. Nobody's fault that the enemy seemed impervious to losses unimaginable to any military force in human history. Nobody's fault that the aliens, who nobody had known existed prior to the massive invasion, had landed more than fifty thousand troops on this god-forsaken hellhole of an agricultural planet with no discernable resources, just to eliminate a few measly regiments of the DCMS militia garrison which did not number more than five thousand on a good day.

Minobu was just passing by in the Keihoku system, on leave from Sun Zhang and on his way back home for his great-grandfather's funeral on Awano when the enemy attacked from deep space. He had naturally been pressed into service to lead a hastily raised unit of barely trained recruits, only stiffened by a very meagre leavening of trained personnel. Then they had been sent into battle with barely adequate supplies and food.

The enemy had slaughtered the populace whenever they could find them, with artillery, airstrikes, and even a few antimatter bombs. The population of Keihoku had plummeted from about a hundred million to just 5 million scared survivors on the run from the enemy, and the garrison troops were hard pressed just to stay alive and defend their civilian charges at the same time. 

If it would take the death of his company to break through enemy positions and allow the rest of the regiment to seize the bridge and link up with the rest of the forces on planet, then that was the way it had to be. Minobu had no illusions of the pressure that Givens was under, when he had to tell one of his subordinate commanders that he had just been murdered by the situation, and that Minobu and his men had to charge and die in a forlorn hope against overwhelming odds. Die as hard as they can in a hopeless cause.

The young officer raised his voice slightly to his command team of NCOs, crowding around him to hear his instructions, all of them older than he was, "Alright men, we're going to move past the river and hit their lines. We're going to turn their right flank, to allow the rest of the regiment time and space to seize the river bridge for our heavier units." He looked at the aghast soldiers, trying to inject a false confidence into his voice that he did not feel at all. "If we stay here, we die. We are _not_ going to die. Speed is going to be essential, so tell the men that. Follow me once I jump, head for the far bank of the river, and stop for nobody. Go on." They scattered, transmitting the orders to their squads via hand signals and shouts.

There was nothing more left to say, except to fight and die. He waited till all the men could see him, then he jumped out of his trench, and started moving forward, in a quick loping run that would place him on the enemy flank. No need for smoke rounds to obscure their movement; as he had said, speed was essential if they were to stand any chance of getting across the shallow river bank. And they didn't have any smoke grenades, for that matter.

Almost immediately, he was met by a hail of gunfire. He did not look back to see if his men had followed him out of their trenches, their relatively safe, cosy trenches, but the shouts from behind him told him all he needed to know. It was a source of both gratification and terror. In his first campaign, he was already leading men to their deaths.

By the time he had reached the river, he was in shock at his own survival. His mind was on automatic, his rifle blazing away for all it was worth. His men straggled in beside him, their ranks thinned by enemy fire, but they doggedly followed him anyway. Trust was a heavy weight to bear, and the knowledge of sending good soldiers to die a heavier weight still.

He splashed into the water, the waist deep icy cold river chilling him to the bone. Minobu pushed forward sluggishly with all his strength, firing his rifle the whole time, while his men plunged in after him. They managed to get across the river banks, wading desperately across the shallow water and dragging themselves with agonizing difficulty out of the water onto the muddy, slippery ground, their soaked uniforms slowing them down, sometimes fatally. A few slipped on the mud, but they clambered forward, sometimes with a helping hand from a nearby friend.

Minobu saw several of his men get caught by a fusillade of machine gun fire. They fell to the ground in twitching heaps. He pulled his attention from them back to the battle. More men were crawling out of the river, firing their weapons in a vain effort to suppress the enemy. He found a small depression on the ground, and slid into it, avoiding the bulk of enemy fire for the time being. He could hear the screams from the wounded and injured who had been caught by the enemy fire as they laid on the river banks, even over the loud chatter of the guns. He shut away the noises. They were distracting him.

"Set up the mortars there!" He shouted, pointing to his sole remaining mortar team while one of his surviving heavy support teams had already dug into the hard ground, and unleashing the tremendous whine of the heavy laser cannon. The mortar team quickly slid into another mudhole blasted out by artillery shelling, and soon the dull thumps of mortar rounds were falling into the enemy positions. All along the river banks, his surviving soldiers had dug in, unwilling to advance any further. Minobu didn't blame them. They were only following his lead.

Somebody threw a grenade, and another point in the enemy line blew up in an explosion of black smoke. For the first time, Minobu had a slight inkling that he might just live through this debacle after all. The enemy was shooting at them, but didn't seem to be too accurate with their weapons, even if the air was so thick with rounds that he imagined even flies would have difficulty dodging. If only the amount of fire decreased by just a bit more…

"_Gun-sho_!" He shouted at one of his men, "Pull your squad and lope around 50 meters on the right. Flanking run, now!" He gestured with his arms as he spoke.

"_Hai_, _Chu-i_!" The _Gun-sho_, the equivalent of a sergeant in the DCMS, limped away, one leg trailing a line of blood on the ground as he sought to fulfil his orders. Four men followed him.

Minobu did not have the heart to tell the man that his flanking attack was only a diversion, and that his squad was a suicide decoy. The rest of his men were mostly huddled behind whatever cover they could find, or in holes made by the intense shelling of the night before.

"Company _Roku_, get ready for melee! Fix your bayonets!" Minobu drew his shabby katana from his scabbard, a cheap steel copy made by the dozens as makeshift symbols for hastily commissioned officers, hardly a blade worthy of a true samurai.

He was not surprised. After all, he hadn't even graduated yet from Sun Zhang, wasn't a real officer. Wasn't worthy of a genuine katana made by a master blade-smith. Just a cadet jumped up to a _Chu-i_'s commission because they were fresh out of officers, and with the brigade commander on this world thinking that a boy with one or two years of academy training in a tactical command slot of cannon fodder with fewer scant weeks of basic training was better than nothing. Talk about the blind leading the blind _and_ mute.

Minobu pushed away the doubt lurking in his mind. Would the troops follow him still? After all, a soldier's greatest fear was that when it came to the time of reckoning, his men would not follow his orders. They had already followed him so far. Would their nerve hold? Hell, would his own nerve hold? He looked around at the company.

The troopers' faces showed immense fear and strain from the losses they had endured, and more than one was sobbing brokenly at the death of friends and close comrades, but they put on their bayonets anyway. Relieved, Minobu stopped for a moment, panting hard, to try to gather his breath, his strength, for what was the final fight. He shut off all feeling, all emotion. He was a weapon, a tool, nothing more and nothing less. As were his men.

He raised his katana high, and almost immediately he felt the volume of fire heading their way shift away, which meant that the _Gun-cho_'s attack was diverting their attention. That opening was all he needed. Their deaths could not be in vain.

Minobu stepped from his hole, and started running forward again. "Charge!" His thin line of men sprinted in after him, screaming and firing for all they were worth, working up their courage and last bits of strength for the melee battle. He fired the last of his ammo from the rifle in his left hand, an inaccurate burst that served its purpose of keeping the enemy's heads(or equivalents) down, and that proved enough for him to clamber over a low palisade and down into the enemy trenches and backfield area. There were swarms of the enemy milling around, about two whole companies, in fact, but he did not care as he fought his way forward.

The next few moments were flashes of incoherent fear, blood, and steel. He found himself facing off against an enemy Drakkar, its belt adorned with the fresh skulls of human children, its rank insignia identifying it as the enemy commander in charge of this part of the line. An enraged Minobu duelled with it, his cheap imitation katana snapping into two after a particularly brutal exchange. He grabbed up a broken-off bayonet tip from the ground and stabbed it in the chest just as it prepared to deliver the coup de grace. Wounded, the Drakkar dropped its sword, which Minobu snatched from the ground and swung up hard to decapitate it in one swift stroke.

Almost immediately, there was a slight shift, a rustling amongst the enemy monsters, as they realized that these doomed men, though outnumbered, were not going to die easily. Their own commander dead, they started to bend under the ferocity of Minobu's furious assault.

Then there was more gunfire, more screams, more blood. He could barely feel his own body as his sight became a swirling haze of clashing steel and crimson fog. He stabbed and cut and hacked with the Drakkar's heavy sword, fighting his way through throngs of enemies, each step bringing forth another opponent, another nightmare from the pits of hell. He could hear his own voice screaming with equal parts fear and anger as he fought, but it seemed as though it came from somebody else.

Then it was all over. A wild-eyed Minobu continued swinging away for several long moments before he realised there was no enemy left to fight, his pitifully few remaining men, not even a section left, hunched and panting and bleeding over their weapons and the dismembered forms of the bloatforms, the gnashers, the vordaks. Around them were several massive field guns, used to keep their heavy armour at bay. Minobu shuddered as he realized the enemy had been trying to reposition the guns to fire on his charging troops.

_Heishi_ Gerald Akuma, a young soldier about his own age, dropped his own shattered rifle. His right arm hung limply at his side. Akuma walked around slowly, kneeling down every few steps to close the staring, vacant eyes of his dead friends, crying silently all the while, his own mouth open in shock, the tears washing a clear path down his mud and blood streaked face. Somebody sang a mournful funeral dirge for their dead, even as they watched the bridge finally fall to their own forces, the play of laser beams and heavy cannon tracers in the late evening seeming like a rock concert in more peaceful times.

Minobu was suddenly very aware of the intense pains all over his body, and especially his abdomen as his rage and fear ebbed away. He could taste blood diluted with saliva in his mouth, seeping out from between his bruised lips. And his left hand was held over his stomach, from some time back during the final charge, for some reason pinching the skin together. He lifted the bloody hand away from his bleeding stomach slowly.

His guts began to flow out from the open slit in his belly…

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He swallowed hard. "What I did as a soldier is not something I can easily explain. My experiences… have not been easy."

He had earned the coveted Bushido Blade for exemplary leadership and courage that day, the prestigious medal pinned unceremoniously onto the grimy, cut up, and certainly unpleasant uniform that served as his hospital garb as he laid swathed in bandages and duct tape to hold in his guts from spilling out, unconscious on a small cot in a crowded hospice along with dozens of wounded men, a place of death filled with the moans and cries of the dying. He had not even been 17 years old then, fighting for his own life in the hospice.

That had been his first real taste of battle. It would not be his last. In the end, he had far too much of it, more than any soldier had any right to. Crushing defeats, pyrrhic victories, enough for any number of lifetimes. Battles on freezing iceballs where even mere survival was a victory and any form of heat to be savoured. Or being on the wrong end of 1000 to 1 odds in searing deserts, slowly dying of thirst.

Shutting down his emotions except fear all the time because he dared not allow himself to _feel_, lest he broke down and stopped functioning as a soldier and leader of men, as he slowly ascended the ranks. Only his music and his art had kept him relatively sane.

And somehow being even marginally successful only made High Command throw him and his troops into more impossible situations. _Take more than your fair share of objectives and you'll be given more than your fair share of objectives to take._

Along the way he had also discovered something about himself, and the knowledge had petrified him. Who he really was, what he was going to become, and what his fate was. The answer to the first question of 'who' was only slightly complicated by the revelation that he once was one of Endymion's generals. He wondered what Michiru would think if she knew his destiny.

"You had to be there to know how it felt like. To smell the blood in the air, the bitter taste of fear and defeat. Knowing that emotions were dangerous, that we were all dead men, sooner or later."

He saw her shudder at the bleakness in his voice, "I've seen too many good people, often far better than me, dead and gone. I've lived when I shouldn't, when I didn't deserve it." His eyes began to moist over. "My soul is scarred forever. I thought I could escape, at least for a little while, posing as a nobody in Crystal Tokyo, but I was just deluding myself. I am nothing but a killing machine." The tears finally fell from his eyes, but he did not notice them. "I never knew what I had lost until I had it back, even if it was for a little while…"

_Why am I even pouring out my memories to her? _He wondered. Minobu slowed down his pace to a halt, "And now, all I have is hate. And the object of my hate… is myself. In this world of love and peace, there is no place for me. Sooner or later, I will poison everything I care for. But I _will_ do my duty. One way or another, I will send the King's enemies to hell, where they belong."

Sailor Neptune stopped him in his tracks, and brought a gloved hand up to wipe away the tears from his cheeks. Minobu brought his own hand up to his own face, and he seemed shocked at the tears. "I've not cried, since my parents died."

"Then cry, for your loss," said Michiru, who took him into her arms, "Let out all your sorrow. You don't have to bear them alone any more. You are not just an instrument of hate, you have love within yourself. You didn't save us at the palace just because of the oaths you took, you saved us because of your love."

She looked up, deep into his grey eyes, pleading, "This is a new beginning for you, for us. The past, your past, my past, made us what we are, but the choices ahead of us are our own. Please, don't forget the people who love you…"

They looked at each other, and Michiru wanted so much to kiss him, reassure him that everything was all right. Then Haruka coughed.

"Ahem, I think we had better get moving."

The two quickly disentangled themselves, their faces flushed. Haruka sighed. "We can talk all we want when we get back, but let's find the refugees first, shall we?"

"We might have found them already." Minobu suddenly started running. Then the two Sailor Soldiers saw it as well, a thin line of smoke rising in the distance above a hill in front.

The story right now revolves finding the rest of Minobu's friends and former comrades, scattered across the world. I have an idea of how this is going to end, but it'll take a while. The enemy is smart and powerful this time round, and there'll be worse on the way.

Reviews are definitely welcome!


	7. Saint of Swords

_You ask me, Sainze went absolutely bonkers after what Nylaxteorep did to him. He had no choice but to push every thought out of his mind and every emotion out of his heart in order to master the Sword 21 Technique and beat that damn horror before it killed him. Problem was, it probably cost him his soul too._

-Damien St. Cloud__

They came across a few dozen youma attacking another hill, kept back by a small group of youths both male and female wielding a variety of farming tools. Nearer the top of the hill were the refugees from the village, many of them fearfully watching the battle. And on top of the hill itself was a ramshackle hut.

The senshi did not hesitate. Neither did Minobu.

"Deep Submerge!"

"World Shaking!"

"Hysteresis Wave!" He called out without thinking, even though it was a new attack to him, one that he had never used before. A strange flood of energy slammed into the youma, their bodies torn apart as any mildly magnetic substance in their bodies were literally pushed away.

Minobu stared in fascination at the effects of his attack, which was the result of his powers being unlocked by Endymion. He could also recall now the training he had received in the Silver Millennium, and the power over magnetism that his family back then had possessed in their own blood, similar to how the line of the Senshi was continued through their families. _Hmmm… this is a useful attack… wonder if I can combine it with the Nameless Skill…_

Almost all the youma were wiped out in their powerful strike, and the few remaining youma were too close to the village youths for them to use their energy attacks. Minobu summoned up his _katana_ and _wakizashi_, and prepared to advance to their aid.

Then, one of the youths suddenly seemed to slip, and a youma lunged forward. Minobu and Michiru charged forward, but the youth's arm spun up without warning, cutting off the youma's head.

A series of small stones all slapped into the youths, into their joints and muscles, jerking them this way and that. The Senshi stared in fascination as the youths' movements becoming crisp and precise, cutting into the youma with ease.

"What was that?" asked Michiru as they watched a few more stones slap into a youth, causing him to twirl and slice off the limbs of another youma in a pirouette that could only be done by an expert of the sword.

"Somebody's manipulating them." Minobu said, his voice grim. _Damn, I still can't sense Sainze's ki, even at this distance. Has he truly become one with his blade? And the way he's pushing those folks around… He's improved yet again. Maybe he's discovered the 23rd stroke?_

Then the last youma fell, and the youths, instead of looking to Minobu and the Senshi, turned towards the hill, and all of them bowed solemnly. "Thank you for your instruction, Master! Please accept us as your students!"

"No." The voice from the small hut was devoid of feeling, but Minobu recognised it immediately. After all, Sainze and him had gone through hell together. "None of you are ready yet."

"Then when will they be ready, Raylic Sainze?" Minobu shouted out. "When they're dead?"

Everybody, the Senshi, the villagers turned to look at him in surprise.

Minobu continued, "They're older than we were when we started learning to fight, and they'll need it."

"If you think so, you're welcome to teach them instead, Tetsuhara."

"Oh come on, Sainze," Minobu griped, "You ready to let these kids die without giving them the best possible chance of surviving? I thought we'd both had enough of sending under-trained soldiers out to die."

All the villagers were staring at him in awe, as none of them had ever dared to speak to the silent hermit on the hill this way before. Meanwhile, Michiru and Haruka had gone to the village elders to ask them on their situation, while keeping an ear out for the discussion between the two men.

Then the door of the hut creaked open. Minobu could feel the jaws of the villagers dropping. One of them exclaimed, "We've never seen him leave the hut before!"

Minobu wasn't sure what to expect, but even he didn't expect the gaunt robed figure that stepped out of the house. Sainze had shaved his black hair off completely, leaving a bald pate above deep set eyes. He was thin to the point of starvation, but Minobu had a very bad feeling about Sainze. _Michi was right, Sainze is half insane. I hope he cuts me some slack. I still don't feel quite up to speed._ He was recovering from the injuries sustained protecting the Crystal Palace.

Sainze stared down, his blue eyes searing down like lasers, "I suppose General Noketsuna had a good reason to give up my location?"

Minobu grunted, "We're getting invaded by aliens, in case you haven't noticed."

"So I have. What else is new? And what does it matter to me?"

"People dying enough for you? We need your help, Sainze."

"They have you. Get Akuma and Fuchida, and the three of you will be enough to whip their sorry butts."

"It's not so simple. These are powerful enemies. Hell, I nearly got killed by one of them." An idea struck Minobu. "Hey, think of it as good training! And perhaps ways to perfect your skill!"

"Now you're talking my language." Sainze grinned sardonically. "I might help you, but I'll like to arrange a test."

"Name it."

"Simple." His cold smile, however, suggested it would be anything _but_ simple. "You and your two companions have to wound me once to draw blood. Then I'll go with you. Not before."

"Space Sword Blaster!" Haruka immediately summoned her space sword, and unleashed the tremendous energy from her weapon at Sainze.

The energy surged up the hill, seemingly impossible to stop. Then just as it was going to hit Sainze, he lifted up a hand towards the energy blade. Instead of hitting him in a tremendous explosion, it spun around his hand, a golden gleam flitting about and around his fingers. He stared at it as though studying it.

"Interesting energy flows, man-who-wears-a-dress. Is that a new fashion nowadays in Japan?" Sainze sneered. "Unfortunately, I'm not impressed." He flicked a finger contemptuously, and sent the blaster back at Haruka, much faster than when she had fired it.

"Get out of the way!" Minobu shouted at Uranus. The villagers had smartly put some distance between themselves and the field of battle, so at least she didn't have to worry about them. Haruka managed to leap out of the way, but the explosion still threw her to one side.

She couldn't believe it. She had put in a solid amount of energy, but it was like nothing to the man! _That's at least three times more energy than I sent at him!_

"Sainze, quit fooling around!" Minobu yelled, "Somebody will get hurt!"

"That's what this test is about." Sainze said, beckoning the Senshi forward. "Your ranged attacks will not work on me. Try to close."

Haruka looked at Michiru, and her best friend nodded. One of them would continue attacking with energy attacks, while the other sought to close.

"Aqua Mirror Reflection!" Michiru held up her mirror, and fired a bolt of energy at Sainze, which dissipated into nothing as it reached him. No blood.

Haruka used her impressive strength to leap up the hill, but suddenly there was a rattling sound from below her. The swords of the fallen youma who littered the base of the hill were flying at her!

Before they could reach her, the swords were shattered by Minobu's sword energy. He had his own weapon out, but she could see that he was still not fully recovered from the battle at the palace.

Haruka landed on the ground, but before she could jump again, the grass around her suddenly stirred, as if there was a wind.

"Uranus, watch out!" Michiru shouted as the grass came to life, the leaves suddenly breaking from the ground and heading towards Haruka.

_What the… _Haruka suppressed a wave of panic that came over her as the first passing leaf _slashed _her on her left arm. The grass leaves were also weapons!

Haruka raised her sword to defend herself, but there were too many of the leaves swirling around her. She found herself pushed back, and when the pressure became too much, she leapt back down to rejoin Minobu and Michiru.

"Not easy, is it?" Minobu added several curses, and Michiru blushed at his choice of epithets. "We'll need a plan, to coordinate our actions to get to Sainze. You might not have realised it, but he's set up the hill in a defensive formation. For example," Minobu pointed to some rocks, "Those rocks make it difficult for us to dodge."

"You know how to get to that bastard?" Haruka muttered, angry at having her attacks foiled so easily.

Magnetite raised an eyebrow at her tone, "Bastard's the correct term for him, but he doesn't care. Anyway, here's the thing…"

Moments later, the three of them faced Sainze again. He had remained motionless while waiting for them, and he said, "Do not keep me waiting. Come."

Minobu advanced first, both of his swords out and flashing quickly. Sainze sent rocks and blades of grass at him, but the samurai was able to deflect the projectiles.

Haruka stayed several steps behind him, fending off her own share of attacks, which was not as heavy as against Minobu. Neptune would use her Aquamirror Reflection now and again, serving to distract Sainze further. Now, she just had to wait for her chance…

"Nice tactic, Tetsuhara, but I can see it coming a mile away," taunted Sainze.

"Knowing the blow's falling doesn't really make it any easier to avoid," Minobu taunted back. Haruka realised that the two were just used to ribbing each other. _Just a few more steps for Magnetite, and then he'll be able to fight to Sainze._

"I won't pull my blows," Sainze said as he produced a massive black blade that was almost 2 meters long. He held it easily in one emancipated hand, then waited for Minobu to reach him.

"Come on then!" Minobu moved in front of Sainze, and both his swords slashed at Sainze, who was also swinging that big sword. There was a tremendous clash of metal, so loud that Uranus thought it shattered her eardrums.

Minobu was flung away by the force of Sainze's blow, moving back down the hill, even as he tried to stop his backwards motion by digging into the ground with his swords. Then he finally halted after almost a hundred meters, leaning over his swords, and Haruka saw a thin line of blood trickling down his chin. Then he fell to his knees, and coughed out a burst of blood.

"Minobu!" Michiru was obviously concerned for him, but Haruka knew he had given her an opportunity. Sainze had also been pushed back by the impact, and was barely keeping his balance.

"Space Sword Blaster!" She noted with satisfaction that he had to dodge her attack this time. _You can't dodge forever, baka!_

Sainze lifted up his left hand, the one without the sword, and suddenly several more stones flew at her from his hand. Haruka acted on instinct, blocking the stones, well, most of them. The few that got past the sword slashed light wounds all over her limbs, and none on her torso.

Then he suddenly advanced, that huge blade descending on her with unbelievable speed. Haruka did not even bother to block. She fell backwards and rolled away, then came up with her sword at the ready, and sprang back in.

Sainze was also ready for her with yet more stones that he had somehow picked up. More of them got through this time, and Haruka realized that her wounds were affecting her concentration. She focused herself, _I must hit him!_

She could see from his eyes that he was no longer taking her easily, and the intense look on his face was strangely familiar. He said, "Give it up, mister, you're losing more and more blood, and your defences will drop soon. You can't hit me, so you might as well give it up now."

"In your dreams, sucker!" Haruka yelled as she pushed forward. She was also more than a bit infuriated that he thought she was a man, even though this had never even bothered her in the past! _What's wrong with me?_

She stabbed forward, and he parried easily, then swung her blade around with deceptive speed. Haruka managed to pull her blade back, then his left hand shot again with the stones. Unable to dodge them in time, Haruka twisted sideways to present the lowest target profile.

Unfortunately, it also meant the stones sliced through the front and back of her fuku. Especially the front.

Haruka felt a thin breeze over her chest, but she ignored it as she struck at Sainze yet again. And for some reason this time, he was not moving, but rather staring at her. At her chest, more exactly.

Haruka managed to remember that they needed this _baka_'s help in time for her to change the blade's position from its edge to its flat as she hit him. There was ultimately a loud and very satisfying thunk on Sainze's bald head, and he fell back slowly, shock on his face.

_What was he looking at?_ Thought Haruka, before she remembered the chill on her chest. She looked down. "Eeeek!" Her chest and her breasts were exposed by the torn fuku! She was practically topless!

"_Hentai_!" She immediately kicked the unconscious man on the ground, and was ready to use her sword on him for daring to expose her when Neptune and Magnetite straggled up the hill. Michiru was supporting Minobu, who was still coughing up some blood. They were followed by several of the village youths.

"Haruka-_chan_, stop!" Michiru shouted.

"Not that I feel this bastard deserves it, but we really cannot afford to have him permanently incapacitated now." Minobu added with a grin, trying to keep his eyes away from Haruka. He took off his own jacket and draped it around Haruka.

"Is he all right?" A young girl asked.

"Let's find out." Minobu leaned down and propped Sainze to a sitting position. Before Michiru could kneel down in front of him, Haruka did so first. Oh no, she was going to get her licks in first. The kick just wasn't enough revenge. She wanted satisfaction.

Uranus slapped Sainze across the face several times to try to wake him up, and the others winced at the strength she was putting into her blows.

"Are you trying to drive him further into unconsciousness?" Michiru asked after the sixth such slap.

"No, this isn't even a tenth as hard as I would like to actually hit him."

Minobu grimaced.

"Owwwie…" Raylic Sainze groaned, then opened his eyes to see the vengeful blonde woman in front of him, looking as though she still wanted a piece of him. Well, at least he knew now she was a woman. Hey, who knew what obscene fashions were in vogue, right? He had assumed she was just a man wearing the latest in fashion, until his stones had sliced open the front of her uniform and revealed, uhhhh, her assets.

And so he had committed the cardinal sin of staring for too long. And got himself knocked out. But he had to admit, her… assets were worth looking at. Enough to compensate for the pains on his body.

The top of his head hurt, his cheeks were swollen, and a place on his torso was really achy. He was just grateful she didn't kick him in the groin. And he couldn't figure out why he had lost his calm, the state of no emotion he had attained in the hut the moment he had seen Minobu and the blonde woman. Especially the blonde woman. And he just couldn't get it back, no matter how hard he tried to push his emotions away again.

"Well, looks like we passed your test, eh?" Minobu grinned.

"Yeah, well, if it wasn't for the fact that I got this bi…" Venomous glare from blondie. "Uhhh, lady here mistaken for a man, I would not be knocked out."

"What?! How dare you mistake me for a man! I am 100% woman, you _baka_!" Haruka suddenly exploded again, grabbing him by the throat and throttling him, before Michiru got her in an armlock and dragged her back, while speaking into her ear to calm her down before she inflicted any more bodily harm on him, coughing to get air back into his lungs.

"Excuses, schemuses." Minobu waved his hands. "You lost, so live up to the deal."

"Fine. Just get your hands off. I can get up myself." Sainze stood up. "Tetsuhara, I did not expect you to be wounded before the fight."

Minobu shrugged, "No big deal. I didn't expect you to hold back either."

Sainze smiled thinly. Minobu Tetsuhara was perceptive. One of the village youths came forward, "Sir, can we ask you again…"

"To teach you?"

They nodded.

He raised an eyebrow, "I just got my butt kicked, and you still want to ask me that?"

"By two Senshi," A boy, almost an adult, pointed out. "They are the protectors of Queen Serenity, and the most powerful beings on Earth. Being able to fight two of them is incredible."

_What about Minobu? Doesn't he count? _Sainze wanted to ask, but he realized that his old comrade would rather stay in the background. He thought about it, and made his decision.

"Very well then, since you are all insistent. Get your belongings together, and meet up here in 10 minutes."

"Yes sir!" They shouted with glee, and sprinted back down the hill.

He turned to Minobu, "I'll need to collect some of my stuff from the hut."

Minobu nodded, "Go on."

They followed him into the hut, and there was a gasp from the women. His hut was almost bare. Spartan would have been too weak a term to describe his home. There was only a small pot above an encircled fire area in one corner, a straw mat that was obviously his bed with some clothes on it, and a low stool that doubled as a writing table, with some books and journals beside it. _Nothing else_.

Tetsuhara shook his head, "Nothing beyond the blade is no way to live…"

"We're all dead men, sooner or later. Does it matter?" Somehow, being back in his hut, it was easier to push away his emotions, and he was falling back into that state…

"No, dammit, Sainze." Minobu suddenly grabbed him. "You're not cutting your emotions off again. You're not going to become a walking machine that only breathes and talks like a human being. Haruka, grab him and stay on him. We'll pack for you, Ray."

For some reason, there was a stab of joy at learning the name of the blond woman. _Haruka… _She walked up next to him, and suddenly he was unable to drop into the state of no emotion again.

They gathered outside the hut, along with about two dozen village youths. Sainze looked them over critically, and asked them again, "Are you sure you wish to follow me? You'll have to fight in the coming war, and it may cost you more than you will ever know."

Not a single one left.

"What about the rest of the villagers?" Sainze asked.

The turquoise haired woman who stayed close to Minobu answered in a melodious voice, "I've called for the local garrison to transport them to a safe location. They'll be here in a few minutes. We can wait until they're safely away, then we teleport to the Crystal Palace."

"What about these kids?"

"They'll be part of the Palace Guard, if they should accept. They've done well, holding off the youma without powers or real weapons. They'll be even better under your tutelage, I think."

Sainze nodded. Then he sneaked another look at Haruka, wondering what was it about her that made his heart beat that much faster whenever they were close together.

The man coughed hard several times, in the dark, damp dungeon. He wheezed a bit, trying to recover from the coughing fit.

He was in a room, a cell, actually, packed with people. Many of them were silent in their despair, awaiting some form of dire fate. He shook his head. He knew there was something he should know, but he just could not remember. He could not even remember his own name.

He only knew, from scattered conversations with the other prisoners, that they had been captured by the Dark Planet Kingdom in Europe, and that he had been brought into the cell with a serious head injury, which was almost healed now. Nobody knew what was going to happen to them, but it was obvious it wasn't going to be good.

"Slop for the day!" A guard in black garb announced as he walked by with a huge pot of plain gruel. Several monsters, youma they called them, stood by one side, ready for any signs of escape.

The man gulped down a mouthful of the gruel, a cup being the standard allotment for a prisoner, before turning the rest of the cup over to a young mother pregnant with child. He felt she needed the nourishment more than he did. She smiled gratefully at his gift, thanking him profusely.

He had a feeling that being hungry might actually help clear his mind, bring back his memories. This wasn't the first time he had gone hungry, he somehow knew. Then he laid down on the stone floor, trying hard to grasp the strange threads which would lead him to his memories…

One by one, the partners are revealed. Doesn't take much to guess who goes where!

Profile 1

**_Minobu Tetsuhara_**

Callsign: **_Iron Hunter_**

As Agenasi: **_Vortexreaper_**

As Endymion's General: **_Magnetite_**

Weapons:

**_Duty's Call_** (Katana)

**_Honour's Sorrow_** (Wakizashi)

Special Attacks:

**_Endless Pain(_**Not individualised yet; final move of the Nameless Skill)**__**

**_Hysteresis Wave_**

**_Magnetic Storm_**

**_Polarising Current_**


End file.
